


Wildcat

by FeistyParadox



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: College, M/M, male reader - Freeform, neko reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-04-29 22:04:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 89,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14482161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeistyParadox/pseuds/FeistyParadox
Summary: [AsrielXM!Neko Reader]Several years passed since the goverment stopped the neko experimentation program.  You joined the integration program and as a part of it were now attending college for both, humans and monsters.  As if going to college wasn't painful enough already, to top it all of you end up having to share a room with a certain, incredibly popular, goat.





	1. Let's (en-)roll

You wake up from your slumber, gently stirred awake by your social worker. Like many of your metaphorical brothers and sisters you joined the post experimentation Neko integration service. For various reasons, the fact that the name was only temporary being just one of them, they haven't settled for an acronym yet. Your eyes flutter open and you were met with the gaze of the poor sap who was assigned to you.

"Good morning ____." He said smiling.

"Morning." You returned sleepily, stretching the sleep out of your limbs as best as possible within the cars confinement.

Still half asleep you stepped out of the car and into an early, late summer morning. With rather sluggish steps you moved to the back of the car, where your luggage was patiently waiting for you. With the help of the fresh air around and the sun's warming rays above you, you slowly began to fully wake up.

"Alright ____. Promise me not to cause any trouble, alright." Your social worker said, clearly worried. He knew fully well that making you angry was an incredibly terrible idea, so terrible in fact the person previously assigned to you was still undergoing therapy.

You innocently raised you hands to your head in response, your expression turning into mock offense. "Hey, you know me. It doesn't matter where I hide, trouble always seems to find me."

A worried sight was the first response you got. "Yeah. I know you and if I have to be honeys. I'm more worried about the guys you'll meet than about you. Anyway, if something comes up don't hesitate to call me. And please, don't do anything stupid alright?"

You nodded and, with your luggage in tow, began to walk up to the entrance, waving goodbye to the guy that helped you integrate into society over the last three years. The golden gates stood proudly in front of you, or at least you think they do. Their lustrous shine was blinding underneath the golden rays of the early morning sun. A gentle breeze danced through the air, carrying the dawn of a new beginning and you could already hear the commotion coming from inside the building ahead. You pushed the gates open, feeling as if you were entering the garden of gods itself.

The moment you set foot on the premise your luggage was taken to your room by one of the workers doing their thing around here. With the weight of your luggage gone you began to approach the building itself, admiring the various flowerbeds and elaborately cut hedges. Whoever takes care of the garden must put a lot of love and work in their craft. The building itself looked rather modern with a wide variety of other, smaller, buildings around it. Presumably for clubs and other free time activities, maybe even a few shops.

There was a huge commotion going on inside and your ears already began to hurt slightly, which is quite impressive considering that you were still outside. You opened the huge doors and were immediately met with a literal legion of people surrounding... someone. Uninterested as to why everyone was loosing their mind over some random guy you began to walk towards the assembly hall where the new students would be welcomed. Halfway past the crowd of people you were stopped by, what could only be described as, a 'slightly' obsessed fan-girl.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's really HIM!" The fan-girl exclaimed excitedly. "Do you know who HE is? DO YOU!"

You gave her a rather disinterested look, already annoyed by her screeching. "Even if I cared, you'll probably tell me anyway."

"It's Asriel Dreemurr, THE Asriel Dreemurr. The one and only!" It almost seemed like she was about to burst from excitement.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll be somewhere else, somewhere that's far away from you I hope. You simply left her behind, whispering the last part.

Walking down the lavishly decorated hallways, all for today's occasion, you passed another starstruck fan. Whoever this Asriel fellow was must be quite popular.

"Did you manage to catch a glimpse of Asriel?" He immediately asked you, not even bothering to introduce himself.

"No, and to be honest, I didn't really care enough to try." You said deadpan, trying to cut this conversation as short as possible.

"Just look at his ears, and those adorable fangs. And his body, oh my, his body." Mr. fanboy kept on rambling, completely, or maybe even deliberately, ignoring the fact you stopped listening the moment he started opening his mouth.

"... I even broke up with my girlfriend because of him."

You formerly bored expression changed to utter disbelief. "Hold up. Did you seriously broke up with your girlfriend on the off chance that, maybe, you may or may not get the chance of potentially becoming Asriel's boyfriend, all under the assumption that Asriel may take romantic interest in other guys?"

The guy nods vigorously. "Yes, I did."

"Yeah, I don't think your cut out for college." With your rather snarky comment you continued on your wondrous journey to the assembly hall.

Eventually you reached your destination and entered, catching the attention of a few student. Countless conversations were going on and among the chitter and chatter you could hear a few student mentioning you, referring to you as 'cat-boy'. Unbothered, you looked for the next best unoccupied seat and sat down.

You let your eyes wander across the room. It was an assembly hall, nothing special about it. Several hundred, maybe even a thousand chairs were placed and a stage for however was going to speak later on was set up at the front. Time passed and, out of the blue, someone decided to jump up from behind the seats and plop down in a chair next to you, nearly scaring the living daylights out of you.

"Hi there, name's Decora. How ya doin?" They said, trying to sound as smooth as possible.

"HOLY FUDGE! Just WHAT the heck do you think your doing!" You yelled at the mysterious stranger, ear flattening against your head.

"Just trying to say hi to the guy that caught my eye." They casually responded, winking at you.

"By nearly giving me a heart attack? Get lost already, I'm not interested." You hissed back, eyes narrowing.

They moved a hand over their heart. "Oh you hurt me so deeply. That the words of someone so cute and innocent looking could cut so deep."

The stranger, who upon closer inspection turned out to be some sort of colorful bird monsters, was really starting to get on your nerves. Which was a really bad move.

"You know, I usually eat birds like you for breakfast." You gave them the death stare, hoping they would finally see the obvious.

"So eager even though we just met. I knew your harsh words were only for show." Of course they would misinterpret your words.

"I said FLOCK OFF, featherface!" You shouted at them, not only cutting them off but also drawing in lots of unwanted attention.

"Fine, geez." They left, seemingly disappointed by your blunt rejection.

Your outburst left the entire room in silence with most of the present students staring at you, while others tried to pretend nothing happened. Then the whispering began. Some where impressed by your courage while others were already scared off you and yet others considered you to be absolutely unlikable. You even heard a few insults underneath the hushed words of those who didn't dare to speak their mind aloud. A rather annoyed sigh escaped your throat.

"Just to let you guys now, I can hear every single words of what you're saying." The crowd fell silent again once they heard what you said.

More students began to enter the room and after a while the doors were closed. The lights dimmed and the welcome ceremony for the new students began. At first the founder of this college, Toriel Dreemurr, began by explaining the reasons as to why she founded this college. Vividly explaining her visions of a future where humans and monsters live together as equals and how this college is supposed to strengthen the bonds between the two races.

You didn't really pay that much attention seeing that you are neither human nor monster. The introduction continued and you were starting to regret choosing the seat you were sitting on right now. You couldn't see a damn thing from were you are. Among more boring stuff one point did manage to spark your interest.

"... while we are in full support of our students spending time getting to know each other, we are still legally obligated to house male and female students in different dormitories. That does not mean you are not allowed to visit them, your are simply not allowed to stay for the night." Apparently she was referring to students getting a little too friendly with one another.

"Furthermore, should students develop relationships that exceed the boundaries of platonic friendship we'd like to ask them not to disturb other students. Also, make sure you lock the door. This college was founded a little over eight years but we've already seen everything there is to see." She was definitely referring to students doing the thing.

With most of the boring stuff concluded the various teachers began to introduce them self, followed by the club leaders. There was a surprisingly great variety when it came to extracurricular activities. Numerous sport clubs, a gaming club, the obligatory drama club, different workshops ranging from woodwork to more artistic crafts, they even offered gaming and anime clubs, just to name a few.

It seemed as if the great welcoming for the new students came to an end. Just as everybody was about to leave however, Toriel returned to the stage.

"I almost forgot to mention. This college is part of the government-sponsored Neko integration program. Starting this semester you might see students around here that look different from what you're used to. I'm going to make myself extra clear that these students are to be treated in exactly the same way as everyone else. Reports of harassment will be taken very serious and everyone found to be guilty will be expelled immediately with no chance of appeal." She sounded extra stern when she explained the entire Neko business.

Great, what she just did was literally putting you, and everyone that is like you around here, on a sliver platter. Now everyone knows that Nekos are something special and students will, most definitely, treat them differently. You didn't really care. As long as no one is getting on your nerves you, and more importantly they, would be fine. And if someone does decide to annoy you, they'll just have to deal with a really angry Neko, something that everyone should avoid for their own sake.

With the event officially concluded you decided to get up and look where you can find the cafeteria. You had nothing for breakfast this morning and you slowly began to feel a little peckish. You left the auditorium and were, once again, met with a huge crowd of people. All of them where, in some way or another, trying to get the attention of Asriel. Why everyone is so obsessed with this guy was far beyond your understanding, not that you bothered to try in the first place. They were fawning over a guy that they don't know, desperately hoping to be noticed.

Trying your hardest to push through the ever growing crowd of desperate people starving for attention, you somehow manage to catch a glimpse of that Asriel guy and you were quite impressed. You already non-existent expectations were disappointing. There was absolutely nothing special about him. From your rather fleeting look he looked just like your average goat monster with long floppy ears, more or less adorable fangs and snow white fur. Once again you asked yourself why everyone is so obsessed with him.

You finally made it out of the crowd and were now looking at a map of the building, trying to locate the cafeteria. In order to reach the cafeteria you only had to walk down the hallway you just came from. Whispering a plethora of curses underneath your breath you decided to take a different way. A way that would hopefully lead you to your goal.

You decided to evade the crowd behind you by walking upstairs and reorientate from there. In theory you simply had to walk down the hallway upstairs and look for another flight of stairs so you could return to the first floor. It sounded so simple but something was telling you that you would be met with another obstacle. To your own surprise nothing happened and you could continue your search for food undisturbed or so you thought. Just the doors to the cafeteria, and with it all the beautiful treats that lie behind them, came into sight someone decided to strike up a conversation with you.

"Hey, you're a Neko right?" A rather girlish voice asked from behind you.

"Yes, I am." You turned around, facing the stranger behind you.

"Can I touch you tail?" She asked excitedly.

"No, you can't." You responded rather cold.

"Your ears?" She continued to pester you.

"No." You were slowly starting to get irritated.

"Please." She continued to plead.

"Listen, I'm hungry and I tend to get a little irritable when I'm hungry. So for your own sake..."

"Pretty please." You tried your best to remain calm and polite but she just had to cut you off.

"NO TOUCHING!" Once again you had to raise your voice today.

She crossed her arms, pouting as you walked away.

An annoyed sight escaped your throat and you were about to continue on your way, until someone decided to tug on your tail and they weren't really gentle about it. Within the fraction of a second you turned around and pointed a clawed finger directly at her.

"If you dare touch my tail just one more time, I swear I'll bash you up so bad even your mother won't recognize you again. Got it." Your voice wasn't threatening but much rather calm as if you were stating cold, hard facts.

Not waiting for a response you turned around again and went on with your day.

Finally you managed to reach the cafeteria, where all sorts of treats were waiting for you. As to be expected, the cafeteria was packed full with students. Countless, delicious smells lingered in the air and students were chatting about all sorts of things. Overall, it was a quite lively place. Not wanting to waste anymore time, you immediately grabbed a plate and proceeded to fill it with mostly chicken and fish. Sure, it was incredibly cliché but you simply couldn't resist the delicious smells.

With your plate filled with food you began to look for an empty seat. Amongst many others there were the tables with the all the popular peeps, the tables were the different sport teams gathered and the one where the less popular students hang out together. In between countless faces you spotted the bird guy from earlier. You mentally noted avoid him to the best of your ability. Getting tired of just standing there, all dressed up and with nowhere to go, you decided to claim the next best seat you could find.

You sat down by a table filled with both, humans and monsters. Of course they immediately began staring at you and your plate. Some even began whispering among them self, asking how you're supposed to eat all of that. You might be average in size but that doesn't mean you can't eat enough for two.

"So, you're one of those Nekos we were told about?" A mouse like monster asked.

"Yeah, I am." You answered between your bites.

"What's it like? You know, being a Neko and all that." A boy asked.

You simply shrugged in response.

"I mean, like, do you have extra good hearing? Do you always land on your feet? Do you have more cat-like qualities other than ears and a tail?" He further elaborated.

"Well, I have claws." You said as you unsheathed your claws, presenting them.

Half of the people sitting at the table were impressed, the other half terrified.

"What about less dangerous qualities?" Another boy asked.

"Above average hearing, feline agility and reflexes and pretty much every other ability cats have." You answered, chewing down more food.

All of sudden, the entire cafeteria fell silent and turned towards the entrance. You already had a sneaking suspicion about what's going to happen next.

The doors opened and, just as you expected, Asriel entered the room. Most students looked away instantly.

"Asriel, here? I thought he got is own place where he would eat."

"Maybe he's here so he can blend in more?"

"Why would he need to blend in, If anyone gets on his nerves he can have them expelled."

The students at your table began talking to each other.

"What's so special about that guy anyway?" You asked, shocking the others around you.

"You seriously don't know? He's among the most important monsters alive. He's the son of the royal family." A rabbit like monster explained.

"In other words, he's the prince of monsters." You concluded.

"Not only that, his mother is also the one that founded this college." Someone else added.

"That still doesn't explain why everyone is loosing it around him." You said nonchalantly.

"Seriously, have you even looked at him?" Another monster asked in disbelief.

"Yeah and to be honest, I'm not impressed." Your response came out as bored, almost apathetic.

The entire table starred at you, bewildered by your statement.

"Anyway." You stood up, picking up your now empty plate. "I'll be off then. See you guys around."

You returned the plate and left the cafeteria.

Back in the hallways you were once again checking the map. Your next destination would be the dorm office. And so began another, this time uneventful, journey. Several minutes later you arrived at the office and gently knocked on the door before entering. There was a very specific smell in the air, one you'd rather avoid.

"Can I help you?" The man behind the computer asked.

"Yes, I'd like to pick up the key to my room." You answered, as politely as you could manage.

"Name?"

You gave your full name.

"Ah yes, room twenty on the forth floor." He answered, handing you the keys and a small bag of catnip.

You expression dropped at an instant. "Excuse me but, what's this."

The man began to chuckle. "It's a practical joke. You see, your room number is twenty and it's on the forth floor. You part cat and so I though that maybe catnip would affect you the same way it affects cats."

With an aggravated sight and snatched the keys from the mans hand and turned around.

"Bloody idiot." You whispered, clearly irritated, as you left the room.

Another five minutes later and you reached your new home. You looked at the name plate next to the door. An nearly overwhelming desire to scream bloody murder and to curse every single god there may or may not be overcame you as you read the names on it.

"You have to be kidding me." You sighted, muttering in utter disbelief.

Asriel Dreemurr was the name that stood right above yours. Going back to the dorm office and demanding a change was so tempting, just so you wouldn't have to deal with all those crazy fans of his. But you knew that a room change was only possible in very specific circumstances. Besides that it's very unlikely that his mother would allow any of those crazy people to share a room with him.

You unlocked the door and entered. The room looked and smelled freshly furnished. Two beds as well as two desk were placed with plenty of space in between them. A TV was mounted to the wall and another door let to an en-suite bathroom. A wardrobe stood next to each bed and a single window allowed for a fantastic view outside. Like it or not but for the next few years you had the pleasure of sharing a room with the prince of monsters. Speaking of which, where is he?


	2. Action, Drama, Bloodshed

You were lying on your bed, absentmindedly listening to the music on your cellphone. Perhaps, instead of slacking off, you should familiarize yourself with the college's layout. But that would mean you had to leave the comfort of your bed. Maybe you're just lazy but the it was almost like the bed was actively trying everything to keep you. The warm blanket holding you down on a mattress that was neither too hard nor too soft. The pillows gave perfect comfort and all in all it felt as if this bed simply wasn't from this world. But you had to get up and so you did, even though you didn't want to.

Once the door was locked behind you, you began to fully explore the campus. Walking down the hallways almost felt as if you were walking through a labyrinth. Countless twisting hallways, all taking you to either more hallways or dead ends. How could a college building be so big and confusing. More importantly, how got this layout approved in the first placed. You nearly suffered a heart attack when you saw what you thought to be the skeletal remains of a student. Turned out it was just one of the teachers working here.

On your trip you passed numerous classrooms, labs, computer labs and libraries. By the time you arrived where most of the clubs where located you lost nearly all orientation. Walking down the nearly identical hallways you passed the dance club. Just as you walked past the door, said door opened and the same guy from earlier stepped outside.

"It looks as if fate brought us together again." You already wanted to slap the owner of the voice that was talking to your from the side.

"Well it looks like 'fate' has nothing too good in store for you. Unless you like pain." Venom was lacing your voice. You just wanted to get rid of that guy.

"Your tongue is as sharp as always. But I'm sure it's just to protect your fragile heart, no?" Decora's attempt to analyze your personality was almost insulting.

"I'm pretty sure that numb skull of yours is more fragile than my heart will ever be." You said, half threatening, half disinterested.

"I haven't even caught your name yet. Mind telling me?" He was completely ignoring your statement.

"None of your business." Perhaps you shouldn't have said anything. Silence is golden after all.

"None of your business, that's quite the interesting name you have." Decora sounded mischievous.

"I swear, I am this close." You raised you hand up to your face, thumb and index finger only a few centimeters apart.

"THIS CLOSE, to seriously hurt you." You gave him a look that would gave the devil himself the chills.

"Really now, do you have any idea who I am?" He was acting all high and mighty, pretending to be someone important.

"Do you have any idea how little I care? Do yourself a favor and leave me alone." You tried your best to dismiss him.

Not waiting for another response you simply left and went, wherever. Just away from that guy.

It was around mid-afternoon when you ended up outside, discovering the various sport facilities. Everything, from football, or soccer as some may call it, to swimming was present. The track team was currently taking a break and you overheard a blonde guy with a rather foul mouth argue with a teacher. The swimming club was swimming rounds while a bunch of girls, as well as a surprisingly big amount of guys, were watching. Now, you could watch the various teams practice and feel like an absolute slob while doing so, or you could continue exploring the campus. Joining one of the teams was out of question. You're part cat and cats aren't particularly know to love exercise.

Back in the building itself, you continued to wander around. Somehow you ended up back where the various clubs were located. Maybe you should join one of them instead of a sports team. While walking up and down the hallways you contemplated which club you should check out. You stopped in front of the gaming club and knocked at the door. The moment you stepped into the darkened room you were immediately greeted by the smell of overpriced sugar water and equally overpriced chips. It almost made you gag.

Just as expected you saw numerous students, boys and girls, humans and monsters, playing video games together. Or rather playing one video game together. Nobody seemed to have noticed you as everyone was too focused on the game.

It seemed as if they were playing another generic shooter. Or maybe it was the sequel, generic shooter [whatever number we're at] slightly more polygons edition. Seeing that the game wasn't really up your alley you decided to leave.

Right opposite of the gaming club was the anime club. Maybe this was more suitable for you. Being the polite young man that you are, unless someone seriously gets on your nerves, you knocked on the door before entering. The first thing that draw your attention were the numerous cardboard cut-outs of various characters. There were at least thirty of those. Furthermore they had a sitting corner where people could read their manga as well as TV setup where they could watch anime together. Right now however, they were doing neither of those things. It seemed as if you entered the room at just the perfect moment. Everyone was looking at you including the guy that looked like he was about to give a talk.

"Kon'nichiwa, Neko-chan." The leader greeted you.

It was at exactly this moment you realized the mistake you made.

"Anata want to join our anime club?" She looked at you with a spark in her eyes.

The numerous cardboard cut-outs should have raised enough red-flags for you to take to your heels.

"I really need to go." You said as you checked your wristwatch.

You don't have a wristwatch.

Not wanting to stay for another second you made a run for it and once again you ended up in the hallway. If all clubs were as inviting as the last two you might end up joining a sports team instead. You sighed and decided to sit down on the floor. As you let your gaze wander over the walls you noticed something you haven't noticed before. Numerous decorations were placed on the wall around the door to each club, giving a clear indication on what exactly the club was about. Maybe you should have taken a closer look before entering.

Completely lost in thought you didn't hear that someone was approaching you.

"Hey, are you alright?" A voice asked, nearly scaring you to death. What is it with you getting scared all the time. You've never been the jumpy kind of person.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just looking for a club to join." You responded, stuttering slightly from your shock.

Looking up to the origin of the voice you saw a girl wearing fancy looking clothes.

"Do you have anything in mind?" She asked. It almost sounded like she was hoping for a no.

"To be honest, the ones that sounded interesting turned out to be a nightmare." You placed your head on your hands as you answered.

"Let me guess. The anime club?" She said jokingly.

"Yeah." Your answer was rather reluctant. You wanted to forget the people in there even existed.

"How about the drama club then? We don't really care whether you're good at acting or not. We're just trying to have fun." She sounded a little too cheerful. You were pretty sure that she wanted to ask exactly that question.

"Might as well check it out. I doubt it can be any worse than the anime club." You shrugged and stood up, dusting yourself off.

"Great, just follow me. Oh yeah, name's Elena by the way." Judging by the way she sounded she must have wanted to invite someone to the club for quite some time now.

"____, pleasure to meet you." You introduced yourself.

Elena was leading the way to the drama club and you simply followed behind her.

"So ____, have you already met your roommate?" She asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"Kinda. I saw him for maybe a second or so but didn't had the chance to talk to him yet." You said, almost dismissive.

"You make it sound like your roommate is someone unapproachable." Elena sounded rather amused.

"Well, he kind of is. Not because of his personality but rather because of those around him. People tend to swarm him once they see him." You said rather disinterested, for a reason. Asriel's business was none of your business.

"Don't tell me you're sharing a room with prince Asriel." She stopped, looking at you as if she was expecting you to deliver some sort of punchline.

"Alright, I won't." You gave her a cheeky smile, raising your hands.

"Wow, you almost got me there. Looks like the drama club is perfect for you." Elena began laughing. She seriously thinks you're just pulling her leg.

"You are joking, right?" She asked, trying to reaffirm her suspicion.

You simply remained silent.

"Anyway, we're here." Not knowing how to respond she simply changed the subject.

You looked past Elena and there it was. The door to the drama club, the wall around it decorated with various mask used in theatre. She knocked at the door and entered, you following.

Inside was an assembly of numerous people, both human and monster. The room itself was filled with all sorts of props and costumes.

"Hey guys, look who I brought." Elena proudly exclaimed, drawing in the attention of everyone in the room.

"Who is that guy? Are we supposed to know him?" Someone asked immediately after.

"Don't mind me, I'm just here to see what this club is like. Who knows, maybe I'll join. Don't count on it though." Not even a single ounce of excitement was in your voice.

You sat down on a nearby chair, ready to watch the unforeseen spectacle that was about to unfold.

Practice began with a simple briefing too see if everyone remembers their roles and text. Once everyone was back in their character the rehearsal began and you watched chaos unfold. At first everything seemed normal. People were staying in character and put serious effort in conveying both, the story and the characters. Halfway through however, things got just a little out of hand.

You weren't quite sure but you seriously doubt that a dragon, pretending to be human fighting a bear operating an oversized cat mech was part of the story. Whether anyone was taking this serious anymore or not was irrelevant at this point. Everyone was enjoying them self, joking around and having a good time. The mood was contagious, even tough you didn't really wanted to admit that.

The rest of the rehearsal passed by in a breeze and by the time it was over you were kind of interested in joining.

"So ____, what do you think? We may not be the best, or most serious, but at least we're having fun." Elena looked at you, a bright smile on her face.

"I'll be honest, it was kinda fun watching you guys." You were actually smiling for a change.

"So you're going to join?" A spark of hope was in her eyes.

"I'll consider it." You tried to remain noncommittal.

"Great, guess I'll see you around then." She reacted like you said yes.

The sun was slowly beginning to set, dousing the sky in fiery colors. Or at least it would have. Instead of swirls of red and orange, painting a beautiful sunset, dark gray clouds, foreboding a storm, hung low in the sky. The growling of thunder roaring off in the distance. While you were still out and about you might as well go and pick up your schedule. So you made your way to the secretary's office.

By the time you had your schedule a storm was raging outside and by the sound of it, it would probably last for a while.

Back in your shared room you decided to continue where you left and began listening to music again.

More time passed and the storm was growing worse and worse by the minute. In between the storm's eerie symphony of thunder, rain and wind, you manage to pick up the sound of someone opening the door. Asriel finally seems to have arrived. Now that you had the chance to take a better look at him you still saw nothing special about him. His body wasn't bulky or muscular. For a man his age, his body actually looked rather lithe. His ears almost reached down to his shoulders and his expression was seemingly annoyed. You already knew why.

You removed your earplugs and looked at him.

"Good evening." You politely greeted, CATching his attention.

His head turned towards you, his formerly agitated expression easing slightly.

"Hi there." He returned, letting out tense sight. It was obvious that he was just about done with absolutely everyone.

Asriel simply dropped on his bed, facing the ceiling.

"So, you're going to be my room mate?" He didn't sound excited at all.

"Yes. But don't worry. Unlike the others, I really don't care about who you are. Right now you're just another stranger to me." You said straight to his face.

He actually laughed slightly at your response.

"Thanks, that's actually quite refreshing to hear." Asriel sounded almost relieved and a small smile began to form on his face.

There was a weirdly pleasant yet somewhat uncomfortable silence in the room as the storm outside continued to rage on. Flashes of lightning danced through the clouds outside as torrents of rain crashed against the window. You instinctively flattened your ears against your head the the sounds of the booming thunder outside, much to Asriel's amusement.

"Don't tell me your afraid of storms." He chuckled, shooting you an amused look.

"No. I actually like storms, if it wasn't for the fact that they're so god damn loud." You were much less amused and returned his gaze with daggers in your eyes.

"I know this might be a bit of a weird question but what is it like being a Neko?" He quickly changed the topic, seemingly distressed by the look you gave him.

"What's it like being a monster?" You simply returned the question, not understanding the purpose behind it.

"Well... You know what, point taken." Asriel looked back at the ceiling. While he didn't show it he was quite frustrated by how you turned down his attempts to make small talk.

Another moment of silence lingered in the room and you slowly began turning your attention back towards the door, almost as if you were expecting someone.

"Everything alright?" Asriel asked once he noticed how you were staring the door down.

"They're coming." You said, already agitated.

"Already? I though I lost them. How could they find me this quick?" Asriel seemed bewildered and frustrated.

Seconds later voices could be heard outside the room, seemingly chanting Asriel's name like it was a cult's holy mantra. Asriel started at you for a second but quickly looked away again when he saw your face. You were irritated and thats putting it lightly. With an expression that looked like you were about to stab someone with your claws you got up from your bed and walked over to the door.

Asriel could only watch how you nearly kicked the door open, almost crushing the faces of those who stood a little too close to it. Outside stood at least a good fifty people. The door was closed again quickly after and he could only listen to the sounds that came from outside the room. He was not only impressed by the amount of words you knew but also by how you used them. You insulted each person outside in at least ten unique ways. He didn't even knew it was possible to use some of the words the way you did. With an incredibly loud, booming sound the commotion outside died down for good. Either lightning struck somewhere or you slapped someone hard enough for them to break the sound barrier. Either way, they never saw it coming. The door opened again and everyone that stood outside the room before was gone.

You entered the room again, your expression no longer looking like you were about to seriously hurt someone. If there was one thing Asriel learned today it would be to not make you mad.

"Please tell me that everyone is still alive." Asriel spoke in an almost terrified voice, giving you a scared look.

You took a deep breath to compose yourself.

"Well, everyone should be alright. Unless hurt pride is lethal. In that case I'm probably going to jail." You joked.

There was another moment of silence as you sat back down on your bed.

"Hey, uhm." Asriel began talking again, sounding unsure about what he was going to say. "Thanks. For getting rid of the others." He sounded sincere, albeit a little scared and surprised.

"I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't do this for you. I just didn't want to have a bunch of crazy people with no consideration for others outside this room." You spoke sternly, trying to clear up any possible misunderstandings. "Don't expect this to become a common thing. I won't interfere unless these people affect me." You added.

Asriel sighed, seemingly growing desperate with his situation. "Still, thanks."

"Hey, what if I were your boyfriend. Would you keep the others at a distance then?" Asriel's desperation was clear in his eyes.

You and Asriel being in a relationship. What's next? Flying pigs? Nonetheless you decided to entertain his thought.

"Well, I highly doubt they would dare to go near you should we end up in a committed relationship. Not after what happened just now. If someone does decide to bother you, I'd step in if things got out of hand." You spoke in a neutral voice, giving Asriel a blank stare.

"Well, that sounds promising." A hesitant smile crept on his face, a glint of hope in his voice.

"As is said. That is only if we end up in a relationship or if people decided to loiter outside this room." You reminded him, keeping your neutral tone.

Asriel sighed. "Yeah, I know." He sounded disheartened, his gaze shifting to the ground.

It was slowly getting late and even though the storm was still raging on you decided to go to bed. You first day at college was already quite eventful and you simply hoped tomorrow would be just a little calmer.


	3. Neko 101

You wake up to the first gentle rays of sunshine seeping through the blinds. The storm has passed and the sky was clear once again. Instead of getting up and embracing the new day however, you rolled to your side in hopes to escape the sun. 

It was no good. You were already awake and judging by the sound of it, Asriel was too. He kept pacing back and forth in the room, almost as if he was afraid of something. 

"Morning." You said, half asleep as you sat up on your bed. You never were the morning type of person.

"Good morning." He chirped, shooting you a happy smile. 

It kind of surprised you. You weren't all that friendly to him yesterday.

Asriel, being the observant type of guy that he is, immediately picked up on your changed expression.

"You look pretty adorable when your sleeping, you know." He looked at you with an adoring gaze, speaking as if he was struggling to contain his excitement.

Your expression dropped to something more serious.

"Did you seriously just admitted that you watch me while I sleep?" You didn't sound happy about it, not in the slightest.

"C'mon now. It happened only once." Asriel tried to justify his actions.

"We met only a day ago." You gave him a stern look.

"Please don't look at me like that, your giving me the creeps." A hint of fear lingered in his voice as he averted his gaze.

What's it with him? First he's talking about you and him potentially being in a relationship and now he's watching you sleep. 

"Well, I'm going to take a shower." Asriel said in a more lively matter, only to disappear into the bathroom soon after.

You simply began to stare out of the window, watching the various students move around the campus. It was a sunny morning with only a few clouds dotting the sky. While the sound of flowing water was faintly running from behind the bathroom door, you watched if anything interesting happened outside. One student had his sandwich stolen by a bird and another student decided to perform an improvised street magic show. Other than that, nothing eventful happened. That was until the sounds from within the bathroom fell silent and the door opened. Seconds later Asriel's reflection appeared in the window. You immediately looked somewhere that wasn't the window or the general direction of the bathroom.

"BLOODY HELL, I did NOT need to see that!" You exclaimed, more annoyed than flustered.

Asriel simply stood there with a rather confused look on his face. It's like he's completely oblivious to the situation he's in right now.

"Put on some clothes already, you look like your freezing." You, more or less, ordered him.

"I'm not freezing. Actually, I think it's pretty warm in here." He said, still not picking up on what's going on right now.

"I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt right now." You paused for a second, then sighed. "Just put on some clothes, you idiot."

Now that you've seen more of him than you ever wanted to, you could conclude that he was, at best, average in every way imaginable.

It looks like Asriel finally realized the situation and, without a warning, dashed towards the wardrobe on the other side of the room. The one that, of course, was opposite of where you were sitting right now. Only seconds later and he was back in the bathroom again.

While you were still processing what exactly just happened, the door to the bathroom opened again.

"Sorry about that." Asriel sounded embarrassed, the skin underneath his fur dusted in pink.

"Let's just forget that ever happened. I'll definitely try." You said dismissively. Right now you just wanted to forget what you saw.

After an incredibly awkward moment of silence, you too decided to take a shower. Once you grabbed some fresh clothes from your wardrobe you entered the bath, making sure you lock the door behind you. Maybe a cold shower will erase these pictures from your mind. 

A few minutes later you were done showering and were now busy drying yourself. If there's one downside to being a Neko it'd be drying your ears and tail. It was cumbersome, sometimes even a little painful, but you managed. Now, freshly dressed and ready to face god knows what the day has in store for you, you left the bath and were immediately met by Asriel, who was staring at you.

"Is there a reason as to why you're staring at me like that?" You asked, keeping an indifferent expression.

"I always thought cats dislike water." Asriel sounded confused, for whatever reason.

"Well only a very small part of me is cat so..." You started off but were interrupted when Asriel pointed a laser pointer on the floor in front of you.

"Just what exactly are you trying to accomplish?" You gave him a questioning look, sounding almost offended.

"You said you're part cat so I though that, maybe, you'll pounce on the red spot." Asriel spoke in an almost juvenile tune, smiling widely.

"How about I..." You paused once you realized just how wrong what you were about to say sounded." You know what, never mind." 

"How about catnip?" Asriel was a little too curious for you liking.

"How about you keep that stuff as far away from he as possible. The last thing you want to see is me under the effect of catnip." Your tail started to quickly swish back and forth as you spoke in a serious, almost angry, voice.

"What happened the last time you had catnip?" Asriel seemed clearly intrigued.

"You do not want to know, trust me." Your ears began to vibrate. You were slowly getting really agitated.

"But I really do want to know." He kept trying to get an answer out of you.

"Alright, fine. You want answers, I'll give you answers. When consumed it acts as a sedative. When smelled it can drive a cat crazy. Due to brain differences between actual cats and Nekos, Nekos have to be exposed for longer than normal cats for the catnip to take effect. The downside, the effect will also last longer. A Neko that's intoxicated by the smell of catnip will act very 'affectionate'. If a Neko eats catnip they'll basically become useless for the next thirty to sixty minutes." You gave a very brief talk on the effects of catnip on Nekos, sounding a little aggressive while doing so.

"Basically a drug." Asriel concluded.

"Yes, though it's widely accepted in society. Much like alcohol, cigarettes or caffeine. For now at least." You sat back down on your bed, eyes fully open.  
"So, what happened the last time you were exposed to catnip?" Asriel kept asking question, too many question.

"I called the guy working at the dorm office a bloody idiot. Now, how about you stop asking this question. I'm slowly getting the feeling you're up to something." Your eyes narrowed as you looked at Asriel. Your voices sounded clearly unamused.

He simply looked at you in innocence.

"If I find catnip in my food, you'll regret it." You had a dead serious expression on your face.

"How about we get breakfast?" Once again Asriel simply changed the topic, sounding nervous as he avoided looking at you.

You sighed. "Sounds fine to me."

"Alright then." You gave Asriel a genuine smile as you extended your hand towards him. "I'm ____, nice to meet you."numerous students, many of them whispering amongst each other. Most of the things they talked about weren't all too pleasant while others were blatant lies. Like you and Asriel being in a relationship. Because falling in love with someone, confessing to them and that someone reciprocate these feeling all within a few hours after you met is totally possible. You actually recognized some of the faces from yesterdays crowd. None of them dared to approach you or Asriel, at least while you were still around. They were simply too scared off you. You continued walking at you usual pace but slowed down a little once you realized Asriel was struggling to keep up with you.

"____, I don't know what you did yesterday. I don't want to know what you did, but it looks like it worked. I can finally walk around without a bunch of people swarming me." He shot you a wide smile, sounding incredibly relieved.

"They're simply a little afraid off me. I'm pretty sure they'll swarm you again as soon as they catch you alone." You voice sounded rather casual.

"Then I just have to stay close to you at all times." He said jokingly as he nudged your sides.

You stopped in your tracks, tail beginning to swish back and forth again.

"C'mon now, cheer up a little. You don't have to be so grumpy all the time." He quickly moved in front of you, tilting his head to the side as he smiled at you.

"I'm not grumpy, I just have little patience for meaningless idiocy." You rolled your eyes as you walked past Asriel.

"That sounds grumpy if you ask me." He spoke in a playful tune, walking next to you.

"Well, guess I'm grumpy then." You simply shrugged and kept walking.

"Really, no snarky remark, no glare, nothing?" Asriel seemed a little disappointed.

"And play directly in your hands? No thanks." Undeterred, you kept walking. The cafeteria was in sight and you were hungry.

Numerous people were sitting in the cafeteria, enjoying their food as usual. Most students stopped doing whatever it was the moment they saw Asriel. None of them dared to speak up however, not while you're still there. It's been half a day at best and people all over college were talking about yesterdays events. This could prove to be troublesome.

Everyone returned to what they were doing shortly after and you walked up to the counter. Once you picked up your breakfast you began looking for a table to sit at. After looking for a while and finding nothing, you felt Asriel tapping you on the shoulder. He pointed to an empty table. At first you gave him a questioning look but then simply shrugged your shoulders and followed him. 

You and Asriel sat down, facing one another. It was at moments like this where you regretted having sensitive ears. Students immediately began gossiping about you and Asriel. Some convinced you were dating, other saying you're holding him hostage. Yet others suggested he was simply using you to keep the others away from him. Your ears turned to the side and your pupils began to dilate, something that didn't go unnoticed by Asriel.

"Everything alright?" He looked at you as if he was trying to figure you out. It seemed as if he doesn't know all that much about a cat's body language.

"Just a bunch of idiot running their mouths. Nothing out of the ordinary." You spoke in an almost condescending manner.

"You can actually hear what they're saying?" He sounded impressed. 

"Can you tell me what everyone's talking about?" Asriel immature side began to shine through.

"Gossip, mainly. The guys over there for example." You mentioned towards a group of people, three tables to the left. "They're talking about whether we're dating or not." You sounded rather dismissive.

"What about the guys sitting over there." Asriel pointed towards a table filled with familiar faces, a look of curiosity on his face.

"They're arguing who is the best 'Waifu', whatever that might be. Probably something stupid." You sounded almost as if you have given up on humanity.

"Seriously, they're arguing about something that stupid. The answer is simple. It's that cat dude from that one anime." He said with confidence, an almost cocky expression on his face.

That cat dude from that one anime. He could only be more specific if he said something like: that one character from that one particular anime.

"I'm not even going to bother asking." You slowly shook your head, using one hand to keep it from sinking down too far. 

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? He's pretty cute for guy and I'm pretty sure you'd agree if I show you." He was surprised by your reaction, looking at you as if you had three heads.

"You know what, let's just forget we ever talked about this. I couldn't care less about 'Waifus', much less about which one is supposed to be the best." You sounded almost broken and could feel parts of your sanity slowly melting away.

Breakfast continued in silence between you and Asriel.

Asriel, although he didn't show it, was disappointed. You once again blocked his attempts at small talk 

After a while Asriel looked up again.

"Hey, you wanna go and check out the clubs?" Asriel looked at you, sounding eager to find a club to join. Or maybe he simply wants to spend more time with you so he could get to know you. You weren't quite sure.

"Fine." You respond ed pl clubs for you to check out so you might as well give it a try.

There were still numerous clubs for you to check out so you might as well give it a try.

You and Asriel left the cafeteria and made for the club section.

"Hey, what about this club?" Asriel pointed to a familiar door.

"You don't want to go in there, trust me." You tried to discourage him from entering THAT room.

"It's just the anime club. It can't be THAT bad." He sounded blissfully unaware of what he was about to get himself into.

"Suit yourself, I'll be waiting somewhere over there." You said and left him be.

Once you disappeared around a corner you leaned back against the wall, and listened. Asriel was greeted in a similar way like you were. And just as you expected he left as soon as he go the chance, which took him a lot longer than you.

"You were right, I did not want to go there." Asriel looked slightly disturbed.

"I did saw another interesting club though." He added somewhat confident.

"If it's the gaming club, don't bother." You once again discouraged him.

Asriel sighed and you continued walking down the hallways, checking out numerous clubs. Most of them didn't sound all too appealing.

"Seriously, aren't there any good clubs around here." It seemed as if Asriel was growing frustrated.

"Why don't you join a sports team?" You suggested.

"Because I already have more than enough groupies. If I were to join a sports team, I'd have to wear sportswear. Sportswear is either really tight or really revealing. Both options will draw even more attention to me and I really don't want to deal with that." Asriel seemed to dislike your idea, a lot.

"Then how about you think about it for a day or two." You looked at him with a rather blank stare.

"Sounds like a plan to me." He didn't sound all that convinced.

You returned to your shared room and just sat there. Time was crawling since there wasn't all that much to do. That was until Asriel was starting to play with his laser pointer again. Where did he even got that thing? Your eyes followed the red dot as it darted across the room. What does he hope to accomplish?

"Seriously, that laser pointer again?" You were clearly not amused and your expression made that quite clear.

"It was worth a shot." Asriel shrugged and put his toy away again.

"Why do you have that thing anyway?" You asked in a demanding tone. 

"Presentations." He answered a little too quickly.

"What kind of presentations?" You further inquired, sounding more and more serious.

"Is this some sort of tribunal or what?" He tried to avoid your questions, as he began to feel more and more uneasy.

"You knew you'd be sharing a room with me, didn't you." Your voice sounded judgmental.

"Yes." Asriel's voice was meek, almost as if he was scared.

"And you hoped I'd be like your typical happy go lucky Neko that can't really control his cat-like behavior." Your eyes began to narrow again.

Asriel simply nodded, head hanging low in shame.

"Yes." His answer almost came out as a whisper.

"Just what did you hope to accomplish?" You spoke as if Asriel had done something terrible.

"I was simply trying to make friends with you. I guess that backfired." He sounded terribly guilty and didn't dare to look at you.

You were taken aback. He was simply trying to be nice and you were always acting more aggressive then necessary. Maybe you're little to defensive.

You shook your head and sighed. "I understand you were only trying to be nice but you were acting under the mistaken impression that all Nekos are the same in one way or another."

Asriel still tried avoiding looking at you.

"How about we forget all of this ever happened and start again. From square one?" For once you spoke in a rather soft voice, a soft smile on your lips.

Asriel slowly raised his head again, looking at you with new-found confidence.

"Alright then." You gave Asriel a genuine smile as you extended your hand towards him. "I'm ____, nice to meet you."

"Asriel, my pleasure." Asriel sounded hopeful.

You sealed the new beginning with a handshake.

You spend the remainder of the day talking about life. Or rather, Asriel told you about his life. Well, parts of it. He was more than excited to tell you about his life on the surface and all the fun times he had with his younger sibling. About his wacky friends and that one guy he can't stand. According to Asriel, that feeling was mutual. Unfortunately, said guy is a teacher at this college. In fact, most of his friends were teachers here. Mainly science and PE.

What he didn't talk about, was his life before the surface. He avoided question about his life in the underground like the plague.

Before you knew it, night fell upon the campus again and after visiting the bathroom, this time without any incidents, you went to bed. Perhaps sharing a room with the prince won't be that bad, or maybe it will. Only time can tell.


	4. Infamous

Golden rays of sunshine breached through the blinds, shaking you awake once again. With your eyes half closed you turned your back to the window. You just wanted a few more hours of sleep but you knew you wouldn't get them.

"Morning ____." Asriel greeted you in an upbeat mood.

Your responded with an incoherent string of sounds, somehow ending up muttering a morning back to him.

"So do you have any plans for today?" Asriel sounds especially eager to go out and do something with you. You couldn't see it but you were sure he had a big grin on his face.

"How about sleeping, sleeping sounds good if you ask me." Your voice, and pretty much everything else about you, was drowsy.

"You can sleep the entire night. C'mon, we have stuff to do." He kept urging you to get out of bed, his vigor seemingly endless.

"I'm part cat. Cats love their sleep." You mumbled back at him.

"Yesterday you said that only a very small part of you is actually cat." And now Asriel was teasing you.

"Ugh, fine." You groaned and crawled out of your bed in a half awake state.

"Put on some clothes already. My roommate in his underwear is definitely not the first thing I want to see in the morning." You hissed at Asriel as you walked past him, grabbing fresh clothes from your wardrobe.

Rainbow briefs, it just had to be rainbow briefs. It was almost as if he was trying to tell you something. The fact that he's been trying to get to know you since day one only added to your suspicion.

"Show some appreciation. A lot of people would pay good money to see what you can see for free." He shot you another grin as he spoke in a sarcastic voice.

"Well then. Maybe I should take some pictures of you and sell them to these people. If they pay as much as you make it sound I could simply drop out of college and live like a king." You responded with a smug grin, the sarcasm in your voice palpable.

"There's a different way you could live like a king, if you catch my drift. But if it's pictures you want, you just have to ask. Your eyes only though." He spoke in a somewhat suggestive voice, winking at you.

And now he just suggested marriage. Now that you think about it. What he said yesterday strongly suggested that he had a thing for neko-boys.

"Yeah, you wish." With a dismissive hand gesture you disappeared into the bath.

While you were standing underneath the shower, you reflected on what exactly just happened. Asriel was, weird, for the lack of a better word. He doesn't want other people to see too much of him but around you he's walking around like you've known each other for years.

Maybe you do know each other and you simply don't know about it. That is, if the multiverse theory is correct. Or maybe time is simply not as linear as you thought it is. Either way, he was acting completely different around you.

Once you dried yourself off you left the bathroom again, only to see that Asriel didn't though it would be necessary to get dressed.

"Seriously? You're still in your underwear? You had more than fifteen minutes to get dressed and you're still lying in bed?" You half shouted at him, slowly growing irritated.

He gave you a dumbfounded look, realizing everything soon after.

"Sorry, I'm just used to have a room for myself." He apologized and began to quickly put on his clothes... right in front of you.

You weren't quite sure why but you had the sneaking suspicion that, at least to a certain degree, he was doing this on purpose. Like it or not, you probably had to get used to it sooner or later.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" Asriel asked in a curious voice as he slipped his head through his longsleeve.

"Not really." You responded in a casual voice.

"So I got dressed for nothing?" Asriel pretended to sound angry, throwing his hands up.

"Well, you can't just sit on your bed in nothing but you underwear for the entirety of the day. Besides, you're the one that urged me to get out off bed." You almost sounded like a father talking to his child.

"You clearly underestimate me." Asriel sounded like he took it as a challenge, speaking as if staying in bed all day long was something to be proud of. He did look rather amused so you simply assumed he was joking. You hoped he was.

He dropped back on his bed, all the while keeping his eyes locked on yours.

"You know what, your right about one thing. I can't just sit on my bed like that, doing nothing all day." You had a bad feeling that he was about to say something incredibly stupid. "At least not by myself. You still want to get some more sleep? If so, mind if I join you?" He once again winked at you, sounding completely serious about what he just said.

Your ears immediately turned to the side, tail puffing up as your eyes narrowed. Asriel simply began laughing at your reaction. Little did he know you were about to pounce him in a way he'd probably not enjoy. Unless of course, he enjoys being assaulted by an angry cat.

You took a deep breath to compose yourself, with moderate success, and tried your hardest to ignore the look Asriel was giving you.

"How about we get breakfast instead." You suggested, trying you hardest not hiss at him.

Try as you might, you simply couldn't figure out what Asriel was about. No, scratch that. You know exactly what he wanted, you simply didn't understood why. You've known each other for two days and he's already trying to get you to share a bed with him. He's either incredibly desperate, or really, REALLY, into neko-boys. Or maybe he's just really into you.

"Alright, let's go." He sounded content and jumped, or rather rolled, out of bed. With a big smile on his face he walked towards the door, waiting for you to follow.

You'll probably never fully understand Asriel and the way his brain works, if it works at all. It's almost as if he himself doesn't really know who he is. The more you think about it, the weirder it becomes to you. When you looked back at everything that happened yesterday for example. When he walked out of the bathroom and then dashed past you. He did apologize and sounded genuine about it but his reaction was a little weird.

You're probably completely wrong about it but it almost feels like he wanted you to see him like that. Then all of his questions and the fact he tried to play with you like you were an actual cat. What he said yesterday, that he only wanted to befriend you and the fact that he seems to have grown a little too comfortable around you. All of it made you think that he tried to accomplish something, even.

Just what is it with this guy. It didn't seem like he had a crush on you but he was way too open around you. Maybe you're already in a committed relationship and you simply don't know. Maybe Asriel is simply trying to evoke memories you didn't knew you had. Whatever his reasons may be, his behavior left a weird feeling in your stomach and you knew for sure it wasn't love. It was too heavy and foreboding for that.

"Hey, what are you waiting for. I though you're the hungry one here." Asriel called out to you, once he realized you were deeply lost in thought.

You visibly flinched at the sound of his voice, ears flattening against your head.

"Y- yeah, sorry. I kinda got lost in thought there." You stuttered out. For the first time in years you had a somewhat shy expression on your face.

"What's that look for? Wait, don't tell me your actually considering my offers." He gave you a suggestive look, speaking in a joking voice.

"No. I'm thinking about how I should rearrange your face the next time you say something stupid like that." You looked at him with narrowed eyes, presenting your claws as you spoke in an agitated voice.

"You know, all these empty threats your giving me slowly make me feel like you actually like me. You're quite the tsundere, you know." Now he was downright mocking you, with that sarcastic voice and stupid grin of his.

"I have no idea what that is supposed to be and I honestly don't care enough to ask." You dismissed Asriel's words as you pushed past him.

"Oh come on now ____. I'm kidding. Don't be mad with me. You're scary when you're mad." And now Asriel sounded almost like he was pleading. He really didn't want to blow it with you.

You simply responded with a dismissive hand gesture and walked down the hallway. Asriel immediately began running after you.

With Asriel following close behind, you once again passed numerous students. The rumors about you were getting worse and worse. At first people were gossiping about wether you and Asriel are dating or not and if you actually beat up someone or not.

But now rumors were getting downright defamatory. Some say you're involved in shady businesses, that you have a criminal record and even that you're abusive. Someone had to be spreading these nasty rumors about you and you had no idea who it was. You could feel how you ears began twitching and that's usually a very bad sign.

"Don't pay attention to those rumors. They'll disappear on their own sooner or later." Asriel reassuringly placed a hand on your shoulder, giving you a soft smile.

"I swear, If I ever catch the one who's spreading those lies. I'll shove their words so deep up their buttocks they'll choke on them." You hissed. Right now you were far beyond agitated.

"Please don't kill them." Asriel said in a worried tone. He wasn't quite sure if you were able to kill someone and he had no intention to find out.

"What? No! I won't kill them, but I'll make them wish I did." There was a clear sound of aggression in your voice. Once again you terrified Asriel and he visibly gulped.

Asriel wanted to strike up a conversation while you were continuing on your way to the cafeteria but decided against it. You were already on edge and he was afraid he might just push you over it.

Once you reached the cafeteria and grabbed today's choice for breakfast you sat down by the same table you sat yesterday. Students all around you were talking about you, continuously spreading only the most vile things about you.

Some saying they saw you steal from the lockers while others downright claim you robbed them. What made all of this worse was the fact that everyone was speaking in hushed whispers, too afraid of what would happen if they speak any louder.

They should know that you can hear them, you made sure of that on day one and yet they keep talking. You needed some sort of distraction, anything that prevents you from doing something you'd regret later on. So you decided to talk to Asriel.

"Hey, I know this might be an odd time to ask but monsters are really proficient with magic, right?" You sounded almost helpless, as if it was your first time talking to someone.

"Yes, they are. Though I'm pretty sure humans are still good at using magic too. Why are you asking? Do you want me to teach you?" Asriel tilted his head, sounding confused and curious at your sudden interest in magic.

"No, I'm doing just fine in terms of magic. I was simply curious what your magic looks like." You weren't particularly lying but you really weren't too interested in Asriel's magic.

"You first." Asriel demanded. Well, he tried to demand. Everything, from his expression to his voice, betrayed his words and made them sound more like a humble request.

"Well, I guess the easiest way to describe it would be high voltage. Just imagine having the power of several million, maybe even a few billion, volt at the tip of your fingers." You gave a simple explanation, trying your hardest not to sound to disinterested.

"I always knew you were..."

"Don't you dare make that joke." Not in the mood for stupid jokes, you cut him off before he could finish what he was about to say.

"electrifying." Asriel snickered at his not so shockingly bad pun, disregarding the potential consequences.

You, on the other hand, were everything but amused. "Are you serious Asriel? That was, by far, the worst joke I've ever heard."

"Anyway, I guess you want to know about my magic?" Asriel looked at you as if he didn't want to tell you.

"Let me guess, rainbow fire?" You joked.

Asriel looked away, clearly embarrassed.

"Really now, you're just going to bail out of our deal?" While you weren't surprised, you still looked at Asriel with a disapproving expression.

"It's really embarrassing o.k? I was somewhere between eight and ten years when I made that up." Asriel tired to talk his way out of it, which actually intrigued you more that you have actually thought.

"C'mon, tell me." You urged him.

"Ugh, fine. Rainbow fire, rainbow lightning, rainbow stars, rainbow lasers, guns, swords and a rainbow aura. There, you're happy now." Asriel blurted out an almost incoherent list, looking away immediately after he finished.

Tears were forming in your eyes as you struggled to contain your laughter.

"Seriously Asriel. I didn't figure YOU would be that flamboyant when it comes to magic." You joked, wiping the tears out of your eyes.

"I was still a child when I came up with that ok. Back then I thought it would be really cool." Asriel pouted, crossing his arms as he turned his head away from you.

Your eyes wandered past Asriel, once you noticed someone approaching your table.

"Leave Asriel alone at once!" A student decided to walk up to you and start shouting at you.

"Excuse me but, what are you talking about?" You gave the student a confused look as you ears began to flicker.

"You will not have him so you might as well just leave him alone!" The student kept shouting nonsense at you.

"Seriously, what are you talking about?" Asriel jumped in, equally confused as you.

"Don't you know, that guy is out to kill you." Your eyes narrowed at his words. Accusations like that tend to tick you off faster that you'd like.

"Well, you got me." You raised your hands up in the air, speaking in a mocking voice. "I'm trying to get Asriel's trust so I can lure him in front of a moving car and eat his soul afterwards."

"So you ARE trying to kill him?" The student gave you a serious look, utterly convinced that he in the right.

"No. Now, how about you get lost. I'm in no mood for you and your bullshit." You were done with his lies and placed your claws dangerously close to his throat.

The student visibly gulped and left, not saying another word.

"Seriously, now their saying you're a murderer? What's wrong with everyone?" Asriel was at utter disbelief.

"I have no idea where they got that from but things are really getting out of hand." You sighed. It's been three days and your reputation was already beyond terrible.

"Do you have an Idea who could spread these rumors?" Asriel asked, giving you a questioning look.

You shrugged in response.

"Could it be that someone holds a grudge against you?" He further inquired.

"Well, the only person that comes to my mind is..." You fell silent for a moment, remembering a certain, flamboyant bird monster.

"Decora." You finished.

"Decora? Who's that?" Asriel seemed even more confused.

"Just some dude that's been bothering me ever since day one. Claims to be someone really important." You rolled your eyes. You really wanted to forget that guy even exists.

"Wait, I think I heard about someone with that name." Asriel pulled out his phone and began looking up something.

"Found it. Decora Paradisa, son of Rudolph Pardisa. Founder and CEO of Paradise entertainment. He's the heir of one of the most successful companies out there." Asriel gave you a brief rundown on who that Decora guy actually was.

"In other words, a spoiled, cocky brat born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Well, I guess I'll have to have a nice chat with him." Your tail puffed up and ears were visibly flickering. It sounded like you were about to clip his wings and kick him off a cliff.

"What are you going to do to him, I mean, we don't even know it was him." Asriel looked at you with concern, afraid that you might hurt someone innocent.

"Easy, I'll find out if he has something to do with these rumors." You response sounded casual, almost as if you were doing this for a living.

"What if he refuses to talk?" Asriel asked, dreading the possible answers you could give him.

"That would confirm my suspicions that he is involved in this, which means I'll have to make him sing." You sounded cold, an unreadable expression on your face.

"Listen. I know spreading rumors, especially rumors this bad, is unforgivable but that doesn't justify torturing him." Asriel looked at you with great concern, talking like he had to defuse a terrible situation. He, as always, expected the worst.

"WHAT? NO! I won't go that far. Trust me, I have other, more humane, ways to make him speak. Rumors like that would be considered defamation. Not only can I get him into serious legal trouble, I can also get him kicked off this college. A criminal record and the fact he got expelled from one of the most prestigious colleges of the country will make his life a lot worse." You spoke calmly, smiling at Asriel in reassurance.

He sighed in relief.

"So, all that's left to do is to find that guy and confront him about the rumors." You spoke in a fairly neutral voice, ready to put an end to this entire rumor business.

You and Asriel left the cafeteria, trying to locate your 'beloved bird friend'. The dance club sounded like your best guess. Once you arrived at the door, said door opened and Decora stepped outside.

"Oh, so that's how things are. I'm not simply not good enough for you." Decora looked at you, a sour expression on his face.

"How about you we cut to the chase. What do you know about the rumors about me that have been going around lately?" You were in no mood for his games and made that quite obvious.

"Nothing." He was obviously lying, you could smell it from miles away.

"Listen, we can clear things up and forget about his, or I can permanently ruin your life. Both options are equally fine to me." You spoke calmly, keeping a stoic expression.

"I don't think there's much you can do." Decora taunted.

"Well, I can have you expelled from college, prevent you from ever being accepted to another one and to top it all off, prevent you from ever getting a job." Asriel jumped in, speaking in a self-assured tune.

"Think about it. Asriel has way more influence that you can even dream off. Do you really want to ruin your life like that?" You sounded friendly, almost as if you didn't want to ruin his life. You totally wanted to ruin his life.

Decora fell silent, almost as if he tried to use his brain fore once.

"Fine, I'll clear things up." He conceded, sounding defeated.

"You made the right choice." You patted his shoulder and left.

Once you were out of sight you turned to Asriel.

"Thanks for helping me out, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there." You smiled at Asriel.

"Hey, that's what friends are for right?" He made it sound like threatening to ruin someones life was something totally normal to do. "Now, how about we check out what's outside the campus? I heard they even have a cinema around here."

"Fine by me." You accepted Asriel invitation, feeling slightly obligated to do so since he helped you.

Despite a rather rough start today might turn out better than expected.


	5. White Lies

The area around campus was surprisingly large, almost the size of an entire town. Hundreds, if not a good thousand, of students were walking around, going on about their business. Restaurants, shops, cafés, all dime a dozen.

The local college was all that kept this town alive and going by the looks of it, this town won't time die any time soon. The sun was slowly reaching it's zenith as gusts of wind carried thousands of new smells along with it.

All those countless, delicious smells of foods only waiting to be tested trapped you in some sort of sensory feedback loop. Your ears were facing forward and the tip of your tail moved slightly, your head quickly turning from side to side.

"____!" Asriel called out your name, snapping you out of your trance.

You nearly jumped out of your skin, ears flattening against your head as your tail nearly disappeared between your legs. At this very moment you just lost about fifty years of your life expectancy, meaning you can now retire and continue living your life as a senior cat.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that." Asriel immediately rushed over to you, speaking in a soft and apologetic voice. Although Asriel expression was clearly one of guilt, it still held a certain sense of amusement.

"I'm... I'm alright. I just lost six of my nine lives but otherwise I'm good." You let out a deep sigh in hopes of composing yourself. One hand was still firmly pressed against your racing heart.

Asriel placed an arm around your shoulders and let you to a nearby bench to rest. You hated to admit it but your legs felt a little wobbly.

"Do you need anything? Water, something to eat?" Asriel looked at you with guilt in his eyes, sounding like he just did something unspeakably terrible.

"Water sounds nice." Your voice almost came out as a whisper and you took in a quivering breath.

"Coming right up." Asriel immediately turned around and rushed into a nearby shop.

While you were waiting, you decided to use the moment to observe your surroundings. Numerous students were passing by you, some chatting among each other while others were a little too focused on their phones, nearly running into every obstacle in the vicinity.

Even though the town was full of life, it managed to keep the charm of a small village. Paved streets and victorian style streetlamps combined with more modern buildings set a stark contrast on how times changed.

There was no feeling of stress nor haste but rather peace and relaxation. It does wonders to your soul and only after a few minutes you felt how your heartbeat returned to normal.

You continued watching the people around you and among countless similar faces, you spotted one that looked familiar, one that you didn't despised with every fiber of your being.

"Hey ____, fancy seeing you here." It was Elena, and she greeted you in her usual upbeat mood.

"Hi Elena." You returned, smiling at her.

"What brings you here? You don't strike me as the guy that enjoys shopping." She asked you with curiosity.

"Well, my roommate invited me to explore the town with him." You tried to gave a rather ambiguous answer. While you did hint that you'd share a room with Asriel the day you met Elena, she didn't seem to believe you.

"Sounds fun. Hey, I know this might be a bit out of the blue but have you made up your mind about joining the drama club?" There it was again, that hint of excitement in her eyes whenever she talked about the drama club. You however, face palmed mentally.

"Sorry but I totally forgot about that. There's been a lot going on over the last days and I hardly had a minute for myself." You apologized.

Elena looked like she was about to say something but it seemed as if the words got stuck in her throat. You realized why once you heard foot steps from behind you.

"Sorry it took me so long. The store was quite full and I wasn't sure whether you like your water carbonated or not so I got you a non-carbonated one." Asriel was back and he sounded rather carefree, despite what happened only a few minutes ago.

"Well I'll be damned. You weren't lying when you said you were sharing a room with the prince." Elena looked at you as if you had three heads, sounding completely bewildered.

"____, who's that?" Asriel asked, seemingly confused.

"That's Elena. She showed me the drama club after the fiasco that were the previous clubs." You told Asriel what you knew about her, which wasn't all that much.

"Hey, I'm the drama club's leader, alright. You two should seriously consider joining." And she's trying to recruit you again.

"You've been there before right _____? What's the drama club like?" Asriel looked at you like he was seriously considering joining.

"Well, the drama club is... something special. It's more about having fun than actual acting. Things start out serious but they tend to go a little out of control. At least that's what happened when I watched them practice." You sounded unsure as you gave Asriel the gist of the drama club.

"Well, things always tend to get a little out of control, a lot out of control." Elena added, looking to the side.

Asriel studied Elena's expression, thinking about... something, if he was thinking at all.

"What do you think ____? Should we check it out once we have the time to do so? Asriel looked back at you with an indecisive expression, sounding unsure whether to join or not.

"I've already seen what the club's like but sure, why not. What's the worst that could happen?" Your tried to sound as neutral as possible, hoping it would raise any false hopes. And yet, Elena audibly gasped at your response. Somehow you had this feeling that you would choke on your words sooner or later.

"Really? That's great. I can't wait to see how the others will react when I tell them that the prince might join. I have to tell them. Right now." Completely caught up in her excitement, Elena ran back to the campus.

Asriel simply watched her dash off, his head tilted as if just witness some sort of alien spacecraft delivering someone's dinner.

"Is she always like that?" His question seemed hesitant as he looked back at you in confusion.

"I honestly have no idea. I don't even know her. We had a bit of small talk but that's about it." Admittedly, you had no idea what to make of Elena and were just as confused as Asriel was.

"Anyway." Asriel stretched his words as his eyes trailed off. "Let's see what this town has to offer."

You simply nodded and followed Asriel to wherever it was where he was going right now.

While you were wandering through town, countless people approached Asriel. All in hopes to get a chance to date him. Most students left Asriel alone once he turned them down. Of course some needed extra convincing from your end, so you 'politely' asked them to leave.

None of this was surprising though, since more than half the campus was totally into Asriel. What did surprise you however, was the fact that some students tried flirting with you. Needless to say, you turned them down without hesitation, or remorse, or anything that showed you cared about them or what they think.

After several minutes of aimlessly walking through town, you somehow arrived in front of an arcade. You and Asriel exchanged a quick look and entered without even thinking about it.

The entire place was kept in a retro style. Neon tubes in various colors illuminated the place as neon signs displayed the names of the various games around. Countless arcade machines, lined side by side, stood by the walls further in the back and the ground was patterned with various planets, regardless whether they were real or not. The place even offered a bowling alley and a food court. All the while, retro music played in the background.

Just standing here made you feel like you jumped back in time, back when things were different. A lot different.

"I'll be right back." Asriel said and quickly ran off, returning only seconds later with a bunch of tokens that are used to play around here.

"C'mon, let's find some games to play." He seemed unusually excited. His eyes were sparkling and he sounded almost a bit like child.

You did even had the chance to say something as he ran off only seconds after he finished what he said. It was almost amusing to see him like this and his enthusiasm, albeit slowly, began to rub off on you. With an almost invisible smile, you speed walked after him.

"Hey ____, check this out." He called out to you, waving his hand as he jumped up and down. "It's Rocket Command. I heard that this game used to be really popular in the past."

You stood next to Asriel and looked at the screen in front of you. Just looking at the the old school graphics made you realize just how far technology has come. The graphics were good enough to recognize what their supposed to portray but still left enough room for one's own imagination. Also, it's actually a full game and not a half done game you pay full price for only to see that the rest is sold as DLC.

"So, what's this game about?" You asked, for once genuinely interested.

"Well, as far as I know you simply have to protect the city from incoming rockets." Asriel spoke as if he wasn't all that sure about what the game was about himself.

"And how do you play it?" You further investigated, looking at the controls in confusion. They consisted of some sort of tracking ball and three buttons.

"Well, only one way to find out. Right?" Asriel sounded excited and immediately popped in a token, starting the game.

You watched as he struggled with the controls. Using the tracking ball seemed to be a lot harder than expected. Roughly a minutes passed and the game over screen took over. Undeterred by his failure, Asriel used another token and failed once again.

"Hey, let's try this together. You aim, I shoot." Asriel suggested, looking at you with an expression of resolve. He really wanted to see level two.

You responded with a determined nod and placed your hand on the tracking ball, ready to annihilate the high score. In the end it was you and Asriel who got annihilated. These old games were pretty tough.

"You know what? Let's play something else." Asriel sounded 'a little' angry, as he looked for a different game to play.

You simply followed him, stopping whenever he did. After playing, and failing, numerous games you decided to move to the food court. Even the food court was designed with retro looks in mind. Ranging from seats and tables to windows and even the menus. All of it looked like it came straight from the 80's.

"So, are you hungry?" Asriel asked, giving you a smile.

"Not really. Besides, I don't have any money one me." You tried to sound dismissive about it.

Asriel kept his smile and you knew exactly what he's going to say next.

"No, you're not going to treat me for lunch." You said in a stern tone, looking at him like you really meant it.

"I insist. It's not like I cant afford it. I'm the prince, I have more money than fur and I have A LOT of fur." He joked, nudging your shoulders.

"It's not about the money..." You tried to protest but were cut off when Asriel simply dragged you off to the tables.

"Now, go ahead and choose whatever you want. Seriously, just choose whatever." It almost sounded like he was demanding you to order something, even if it was just a salad. You were pretty sure he'd make you order more than just a salad.

There was no way you could weasel your way out of this and so you decided to check the menu for something interesting. After a few minutes of internal debate you settled for chicken nuggets with fries and a medium soda. Asriel choose the steak and everything that comes with it. Once the order was placed you and you were brought your drinks, you decided to chat for a while.

"... and that's how I nearly ended up using hair removal instead of shampoo." Asriel finished his weird tale about how he almost lost all of his fur. You learned countless useless fact about him, a lot more than you actually wanted. Like what shampoo he's using, his preferred water temperature, when he usually takes showers and how long his average shower takes just to name a few.

You didn't know why he told or what you should do with this information but now you know fact about him that nobody else does. You remained silent, still baffled by the the surplus of unnecessary information Asriel provided you with. Neither you nor Asriel noticed the group of people approaching you.

"Hey you're Asriel Dreemurr, aren't you?" A foreign voice that already got on your nerves, emerged from behind you.

"Ehm, I have a boyfriend." Asriel blurted out, looking just both, surprised and confused.

"Naww, really? Who is it? That guy?" Who ever was talking was now pointing at you.

"YES! That's my boyfriend." Asriel continued rambling, hoping it would save his skin. Little did he know that he just got himself in hell's kitchen.

"You really lucky, you know? No everyone can say their boyfriend's the prince. Guess we'll be going now." Whoever that just was sounded shattered.

"Boyfriend, huh? That's news to me." You didn't sound impressed, not in the slightest. The look on your face spoke volumes.

"Please don't be mad with me. It was a white lie, o.k?" Asriel awkwardly scratched the back of neck, blushing madly. His voice was both, embarrassed and fearful.

You expression remained unimpressed.

"Please play along. At least for the time being. I don't want to deal with these people." Asriel pleaded as he began to tear up a little.

Your expression didn't flinch.

"Please. I can get you any job you want." He continued pleaded, now adding bargaining to the mix.

"Because I'm qualified enough to perform any job." You sounded slightly sarcastic.

"C'mon, I'll do anything you want. ANYTHING." And now he's growing desperate.

"I'm pretty sure what you're offering now is illegal." You dismissed his 'offer'.

"Not if everyone thinks we're dating." He hoped he could convince you. "Seriously, you're the only one that can help me out with this."

You fell silent for a moment, thinking about other possible options. Even after several minutes, you couldn't come up with an alternative. A deep sight escaped your throat and you looked back at Asriel.

"Fine, I'll play along. For now." Asriel eyes lid up at your words and you were almost sure he was about to jump over the table just to give you a hug. Fortunately your food arrived just in time.

Once lunch was reduced to nothing more than a few leftover crumbles and the food payed for, you and Asriel continued to spend time at the arcade. Even more unsuccessful games later and you decided to leave, slowly returning to the campus.

The sun began to slowly vanish behind the horizon, coloring the sky in swirls or reds and oranges. It was almost romantic, if it wasn't for a certain monster was desperately clutching your hand to give off the impression that you're actually dating each other.

It looked strange. Asriel's expression was nervous, like he's done something wrong and now he's afraid he might get caught. You however, you looked like you were just about done with this world.

If the differences between your expressions weren't plentiful enough, you also struggled to walk at a similar pace. It almost seemed as if you were dragging Asriel along with you rather that you walking together. Afer a few minutes of struggling however, you somehow managed to adapt to each others walking speed.

While this solved one problem, it also created new ones. Now, every time someone tried to strike up a conversation with Asriel he'd lean his head against your shoulder, looking at you with hearts in his eyes.

His behavior let to many, unnecessary awkward encounters. To your own surprised, people left the instant they saw Asriel's desperate display of affection. Maybe it was because they genuinely believed you were dating or maybe it was because of your expression. Either way, the walk back to campus was without much incident.

Back in your dorm you lied down on your bed, facing the ceiling.

"____, are you mad at me?" Asriel sounded a little frightened.

You continued to stare at ceiling.

"Please don't be mad, I was in a very difficult situation." He talked like he was trying to appease a furious demon.

You still showed no sign of reaction.

"I mean, I'm so tired of all these people getting on my nerves. I saw an opportunity to escape it and I took it. We don't even need to pretend for that long. If you really don't like this we can 'break up' in a few months or so." It almost sounded like he was about to break down in tears.

"Asriel, have you even thought about what you got me into?" You sounded discontent. The fact that you were, more or less, forced into a pretentious relationship with the prince didn't sit well with you.

He looked away, not speaking a single word. It was clear that he didn't thought about you.

"Listen, I know you're fed up with all these people following you around but that doesn't justify dragging me into this. You're a nice person, I really want to believe that, but dragging a stranger into your personal affairs, that's an absolute no-no. " You looked at him with fury in your eyes.

"I'm going to be honest with you, and I know this might sound a little rude. I really don't care about your personal affairs but seeing that you dragged me into this it looks like I have to. Not only do I have to care, it also seems like I have to solve your problems." You didn't sound angry, which made everything a lot scarier. You were angry, furious even.

By now Asriel knew how to see you were angry. The narrowed pupils, flattened ears, the puffed up tail. All of these were a dead giveaway and it scared him. What's even worse, he knew you were right. He knew that he dragged you into something you never wanted to be a part off. Although hesitant at first, he looked at you with guilt nagging at his soul.

"As I said. I'll play along, for now." You voice was dead serious as you frowned at him.

Having said everything you have to say, you disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later and you went straight to bed. Today took unexpected turns, turns that gave you a lot to think about. Starting tomorrow you'll have to pretend to be Asriel's boyfriend and you had no idea what it means to be a boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A thing I probably should have mentioned a little earlier. If anyone has criticism or other forms of feedback, like spelling mistakes, please let me know. Furthermore, if anyone has ideas for the story, feel free to write them in the comments. Based on how much they fit into the story I might be able to incorporate them.


	6. Make Believe

"____, wake up already!" Asriel was shaking you awake, nearly shouting at you.

You slowly opened your eyes, looking at Asriel with a drowsy expression.

"What?" Your voice sounded everything but happy.

"Morning." Asriel chirped, shooting a wide smile at you.

"Seriously? That's why you woke me up? Just to say morning?" You expression turned into a frown, causing Asriel to back away immediately.

"I simply thought that, know that you're my boyfriend, we should spend some time together." Asriel looked past you, awkwardly shuffling in place as he twiddled his thumbs.

"I am NOT your boyfriend." You heavily emphasized the not, ears flickering.

"Not yet." Asriel whispered, hoping you wouldn't hear him.

"Come again?" Your eyes narrowed down and you almost hissed at him.

"N- nothing, I didn't say anything." Panic was slowly sinking into Asriel's heart.

You sighed and crawled out from underneath the covers, disappearing in the bathroom soon after. Today would be a long, long day and you weren't really looking forward to it. Out of all the things that could happen in college, having to pretend to be in a relationship with someone you'd consider acquaintance at best was definitely not one of them. And of course you agreed, you just had to even though you really didn't want to. It was either that or dealing with a bunch of imbeciles. After finishing up you left the bath again and were immediately met with Asriel gaze.

"Want do you want to do today?" Asriel asked, looking at you with a hopeful expression.

"Don't know." You shrugged, looking at Asriel with an indifferent expression.

"How does breakfast sound?" He chirped.

"Sounds good." You replied. If there was one thing he could bait you with, it's food.

Once in front of your dorm, Asriel immediately locked arms with you. With hearts for eyes he walked by your side in hopes that, soon, everyone would think you're actually dating. As per usual you passed numerous students on your way to the cafeteria. They were still gossiping about you but it seemed as if Decora kept his word. The vast majority of rumors died down and those few rumors that did persist were nothing to worry about. Halfway to the cafeteria however, you were approached by someone, whose face you involuntarily remembered. It was the guy that broke up with his girlfriend because he hoped to get a chance with Asriel.

"OH. MY. GOSH. WHY are you, you out of all the people, dating the prince?" He looked at you with a hateful expression.

"I mean, seriously. Why would the prince, or anyone for that matter, even think about dating you? You're scum, nothing more and nothing less." His continuous rambling slowly began to irritate you.

"Do you know each other?" Asriel asked, visibly confused.

"Nope, all I know is that he broke up with his girlfriend in hopes of getting the chance to date you." You replied in a mocking tune, shooting the guy a scornful look.

"Wait, he did what?" Asriel seemed bewildered. Why would anyone break up with their partner because of him.

The guy simply scoffed. "You know what, keep dating that douche bag but don't come crying once he dumps you. Whatever he does to you, you deserve it for dating him." Whoever this guy was, he sounded livid.

You responded with a death glare that would incite fear in even the bravest of hearts but remained quite otherwise. 

"How about you leave before things get ugly. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure things can't get any uglier than your face." Asriel tried his best to respond with a good comeback.

"Ugh, seriously? Look at what the prince has become because of you. He was so sweet and innocent before he met you. Even his body suffered because of you. He was one of the sexiest monsters alive and now he's a two out of ten at best." Now he was simply getting ridiculous, accusing you of somehow affecting Asriel's body.

"I'm getting the feeling that someone's a little jealous." You spoke down to him in a mocking manner.

In return he shot you a spiteful look, hand balling into fists. You noticed and looked at him as if you were asking him to throw the first punch.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you. Not only are you going to leave college in an ambulance, you'll also never be allowed to return again." You have him exactly where you want him, cornered like the rat that he turned out to be.

Whatever he's going to do now, he can only lose.

He whispered numerous curses and left, probably to call his ex.

"Did he seriously broke up with his girlfriend because of me?" Asriel asked. He was at utter disbelief why someone would do something this stupid.

"Don't worry about him. Idiots tend to remove them self from the gene pool. It's called Darwinism." You joked.

A few minutes later and you arrived at the cafeteria. Once you picked your preferred breakfast and sat down at your usual spot.

"I know this might not be a good time but, what was your life like until now?" Asriel asked, clearly interested in your past.

"I'd rather not talk about that in public." You dismissed him instantly. "Besides, why would I tell you. You haven't told me about your life in the underground either."

Asriel's expression dropped, almost as if a flood of disturbing memories crashed down on him. Whatever happened in the underground must have be bothering him immensely.

"I'm sorry. I was just curious about this entire neko experimentation program. Information is both, scarce and inaccurate and the government never really issued a public statement." Asriel avoided looking at you, sounding like something was bothering him greatly. 

He wanted to know more about the program and how it affected you, if it affected you at all. For whatever reason it bothered him more than it should have and it left an indescribable in your stomach. The expression on Asriel's face, his expression of care and worry, it gave you a certain sense of familiarity.

"What about your hopes and dreams? Like, what do you want to do for a living?" Asriel changed the subject, looking at you with great interest in his eyes.

You however, didn't share his enthusiasm and looked away with an almost sad expression.

"What about your childhood?" He brought up yet another topic in hopes of making things less awkward.

Your mood dropped even further, your expression telling of tales you wish you had forgotten long ago.

Asriel didn't say another word, too afraid to make things even worse than they already are.

Breakfast passed with an unpleasant silence between you. The muttering of students around you didn't help the situation either.

People were still talking about you but nowhere near as hateful as before. Some even started to show sympathy towards you, curious as to why you are the way you are now. The majority was talking about why Asriel would choose exactly you, though. Honestly, you didn't know either.

"So, is there anything you want to do today?" Asriel smiled again, looking at you as if he was eager to do something.

"Not really." You response was as neutral as always.

Asriel placed his head on his hands, sinking deep into thought. A few minutes later, he perked up again. 

"How about we just go somewhere and make the best out of it?" He suggested, sounding like he found the solution to all problems.

You simply shrugged. "Sounds fine to me."

Without further ado you left the cafeteria, of course not without placing the plates where they belong. Once you stood outside the cafeteria, you walked down the next best hallway you could find in hopes it would lead you to your destiny. In only lead to the restrooms.

"If you'd excuse me for a moment." Asriel excused himself and entered the men's restroom.

While you were waiting outside for Asriel, yet another familiar face approached you. It's was the girl you met on your first day, the one that, like many others, was completely obsessed with Asriel.

"Why did he chose you?" She half shouted at you, pointing a finger in your face.

"I'm sorry but... what?" You looked at her, confused by her accusations.

"What did you do to him that he'd date you?" She spoke in an accusatory tune.

"Stop playing the pronoun game and give me a name for crying out loud." You acted liked you had no idea what she's talking about, doing so quite convincingly. You knew exactly who she's referring to, you simply enjoyed messing with her.

"Asriel, of course. What do you have that makes you so appealing to him? What do you have that I don't?" She desperately tried to draw out your secrets. Joke's on her. You don't have a secret, expect that you're not dating Asriel.

"Personality, I'd say." You responded with a smug grin on your face.

The girl looked at you like you just spat on her mother's grave.

"Oh, and a penis." You added, downright mocking her.

She looked almost disgusted. "W- why would Asriel. Does he even know about the consequences of dating another guy?"

"Really now? You're really going down that road? That's plain rude." You knew exactly what she was referring to but she just made it to easy to twist the words in her mouth.

She began to panic. "WHAT? NO! I did not meant it that way. He can go and date as many guys as he wants, it just..."

"Cut it out. We both know you're lying." You simply cut her off, further rubbing salt in her wound by turning the tables.

"I'm just... I... ARGH!" She ran off, frustrated.

"I didn't know you could be like that." Asriel said in amusement, as he stepped out of the restroom.

"Seriously though. Personality, a penis? Do you really think these are the reasons I'm so interested in you? I mean, you're not wrong but there's a little more to it." He continued, looking at you with a playful grin.

"I'm all ears." You responded, genuinely interested as to what he sees in you.

"You're a Neko." He said, gently poking your nose.

You looked at him with a deadpan expression. "And you're an idiot."

"And that's exactly why you love me, right?" He looked at you, hoping for a response.

You remained silent.

"Right?" He repeated his question, hoping you'd answer this time.

You didn't.

"Anyway, let's go." Asriel grabbed your hand and dragged you off. You wanted to protest but beating up the prince where everyone could see you would make things a lot worse for you than they already were. In addition to that, you'd probably be expelled.

While you were walking down the numerous hallways, looking for something to do, Asriel made sure to let everyone know you were dating, even though you really weren't. After some walking you reached the college's garden, with numerous benches placed between colourful flowers and skillfully cut hedges. Bird baths were placed around the areas and trellises, overgrown with all sorts of plants and flowers, added to the already green scenery. You even spotted a small pond.

While you were busy taking in the gardens scenery, your phone began buzzing. Your social worker was calling. You quickly excused yourself and picked up.

"Hey ____, I'm just calling to check up on you. Is everything alright? Is everyone still alive?" He joked at he last part.

"Yeah, everything's good over here. I did have a few problems at first but nothing I couldn't take care off myself." You responded in a rather casual voice.

"I don't like the sound off that." He sounded like he was suspicious of you.

"Don't worry, I haven't hurt anyone. At least not in a physical way. Things around here are actually improving." You reassured.

"What exactly happened?" Your social worker further asked.

"Well, to give you a quick recap. I've met a few of Asriel's crazed fans on numerous occasions, had some girl try to recruit me for the drama club and had to deal with someone spreading nasty rumors about me. Oh, and I also share a room with Asriel." You gave a quick run down on what happened over the past days.

"What? You're sharing a room with the prince?!" He sounded like he was at utter disbelief.

"Yeah, I am." You confirmed.

"Well, please make sure you don't kill him o.k? Anyway, I'm on a tight schedule so I have to hang up now. Behave yourself and don't do anything rash." He sounded like he was in a rush.

"Got it, bye." You hung up and turned towards Asriel, who was looking at with a big question mark across his face.

"Who was that?" He asked confused.

"Just my social worker." You responded like having a social worker was the most normal thing in the world.

"Why do you have a social worker?" Asriel looked like he had even more questions now.

"I'll tell you some other time." You were once again dismissive about his questions.

Instead of standing there, doing nothing you decided to sit down on a nearby bench and continue doing nothing there. Once seated, Asriel rested his head on your shoulder. He was trying really hard to convince everyone that looked at you that you're dating. And it seemed to be working. People started talking about you and Asriel, that you were dating and all the other stuff that comes along with it. While you didn't really approved of that, it was better than having a bunch of idiots follow you around, desperate for your attention.

You and Asriel were simply sitting there, oblivious to the huge shadow that loomed over you. By the time Asriel noticed, it was already too late.

"Asriel, what are you doing here?" A voice boomed from above you like thunder.

"Dad?" Asriel straightened up instantly, nearly jumping off the bench. 

"I swear, I can explain." He began stringing words together, in hopes they would create a comprehensive explanation. They didn't.

You simply sighed and looked at the monster in front of you. "Asriel didn't seem to feel all that well, so I took him outside to get some fresh air. I don't think it's anything serious though, he simply looked like he's a little tired out."

"And who are you?" The man asked.

"I'm ____, your son's roommate." You introduced yourself.

"Ah, yes. Toriel told me about you. You are one of the s..." The shift in your expression caused him to choke on his words. "I think it's about time for me to get back to work. Hedges won't cut themself." A nervous chuckle escaped his throat as he returned to work.

"So that was your father." You asked in a curious tune as you turned towards Asriel.

"Yes, and I KNOW that I'm a dwarf compared to him." Asriel groaned in annoyance.

A moment of silence past until Asriel spoke up again.

"Thanks for jumping in for me. I didn't know how to explain everything to my father." He smiled at you, sounding grateful.

"Why? Would your parents take issue if you were dating another guy?" You sounded conflicted. You remember Toriel talking about how she and the faculty encouraged all relationships between students.

"Well, not exactly. It's not about dating another guy, they're already overjoyed when I'm actually talking to someone. It's more about the consequences of dating another guy. You see, for a monster to age they must either have their parents or be a parent themself. Mom and dad are simply afraid that I'll spend the rest of eternity all alone." Asriel sounded almost sad, looking at you with a gloomy expression.

You turned your head away, hoping it would hide your almost depressed expression.

"At least you can be a parent." You whisper was nearly inaudible.

"Did you say something?" Asriel asked, looking at you with a worried expression.

You shook your head, returning to your neutral gaze. "No, nothing."

"If you say so." Asriel knew something was up but decided to drop it. If you wanted to talk, you would talk. At least that's what he hoped.

"Is there anything you want to do?" He looked at you, hoping you'd come up with something.

"To be honest, I don't really feel like doing anything right now." You sounded like something was on your mind and from what little Asriel could read in your expression, it was bothering you immensely.

"If you'd excuse me. I just need a minute for myself." You left, returning to your room.

As always, you passed countless, identical hallways. Students were chatting the day away, while teachers were preparing everything for when classes begin. It seemed as if luck wasn't on your side, again, and you were approach by the same guy from earlier in the cafeteria, again.

"Will you look at that, did he dump already?" He sounded gleeful, in the worst way possible.

You showed no hesitation and immediately placed a hand on his throat, claws pushing against his skin.

"I am in NO mood for you and your bullshit. So, unless you have a death wish, you better get lost." Audible hisses escaped your throat as you stared at him with fury in your eyes.

"Seriously? That's the best threat you can muster..." He continued to mock you but fell silent once he felt your claws pushing harder against him, the fear of death clear in his eyes. 

Seconds later you let off him, sending him tumbling backwards and wheezing for air. You didn't say another word and left, leaving behind a terrified mess of a student.

Back in your room, you laid down on your bed seeking comfort in between the sheets. You've never been one prone to crying but right now, your world was collapsing. No, it wasn't collapsing because it was never fixed in the first place. Asriel mentioning topics like your past or family was simply the trigger that caused everything to catch up with you. You tried to forget, to leave everything behind. You hoped by making yourself believe everything's fine, you could move on without incident. But in the end, no matter how fast you run, you can't escape yourself.

And so you sat there as the world rushed past you, wanting to cry but finding yourself unable to do so. Robbed of your future before you were born, you felt as if you were frozen in time.


	7. Reasons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm usually not one place warnings like these in front of chapters. In this case however, I deemed it necessary as this chapter mentions topics that are reprehensible by both, moral and ethical standards. Namely the creation of genetic chimeras using human cells as well and the inhumane treatment during the neko experimentation program.

Night has fallen over the campus by the time you finally snapped out of your catatonic state, the moon standing high in the starless sky. You didn't need to turn around to see that Asriel was staring at you, worried sick about you.

"____?" He called out to you in a soft voice, scared for reasons he didn't quite understood himself. "Are you alright?"

"No." You almost sounded aggressive, as if you wanted to keep Asriel as far away from you as possible. 

Right at this moment you were more conflicted than you've ever been before. You wanted someone to talk to, someone to share all the things that bother you with, but you were too scared. 

Hesitantly you turned around to face Asriel. Even under the dim moonlight, that filled the otherwise dark room, the tales of a shattered past could easily be read on your face. You felt weak, almost as if you were about to collapse. Asriel could only watch with a troubled expression. He didn't knew how to help you and he was too scared to try anything. It bothered him, it bothered him more than anything to feel this useless.

For an eternity and a half, there was deafening silence between you.

"You wanted to know about my past, right?" You whispered, hushed and faced away from Asriel. You wanted to tell him but you didn't want to. 

Everything that happened in the past, the knowledge to the reasons why you exist in the first place. All of it, you wanted to forget all of it no matter how, even if you had to push your claws in your brain and rip those curse memories out with your bare hands. But you knew that talking about it would ease the pain. You begged the gods you cursed not too long ago it would.

"Are you sure you want to tell me?" Asriel looked at you in surprise. Seeing you like that, it made him question whether he really wanted to hear you story or not.

You simply nodded, beckoning him over to your side. Asriel was hesitant and slowly began tip-toeing over to you, almost as if a single false step would spell his immediate demise. He sat down on your bed, keeping a bit of distance between you and himself. 

There was another moment of dead silence between you, not even nature uttered a single word.

You sighed, breaking the dreadful silence. "I don't even know where to begin."

Your gaze shifted from the ground and up to the ceiling as if you were looking for a script to read from.

"Have you ever asked yourself why people like me exist?" Asriel shifted uncomfortably at you question, shivering at the uncanny sound of your voice.

"N- no." He responded meekly, almost terrified.

"It's because people wanted to. The only reason my kind exist is because people wanted us to exist. And now that we do, we are shunned." Your voice was full with bitter hatred.

"I'm afraid I don't get it." Asriel sounded immensely confused.

"This entire neko experimentation program. It was a huge, secret program funded by private companies with only one goal in mind. To create human-cat hybrids. They obviously succeeded." A pained chuckle left you throat.

"At first they struggled, spending years on fully decoding the DNA of humans and cats. Once they managed to to that, they began testing. Of course they needed volunteers but they couldn't just go out and make their project public. And so, more and more people began to disappear. That homeless guy under the bridge? The nice young woman that rarely leaves her house but is actually really nice once you get to know her? They deliberately choose people whose disappearance no one would notice." An expression of pure disgust spread across your face, your voice full of hatred.

"That sounds terrible." Asriel sounded equally shocked and disgusted.

"You think that's bad? It only gets worse from here. In order to create hybrids they needed something to work with, Embryos to be exact. I think you can see where this is going. Once they got what they needed, through whatever sick means they used, they began to run their experiments. The results were terrifying abominations that once more prove that we shouldn't meddle with nature. Hundreds, if not thousands, died." Asriel was at an utter loss for words, looking at you with an expression that went far beyond disgusted.

"It's pretty clear now that ethics were, and always have been, secondary for them but even the guys behind the project realized that they can't keep abducting other people. After all, someone was bound to notice sooner or later. So they decided to take a different approach. Instead of using embryos they decided to create life from scratch. More years passed and they finally had a breakthrough. After years of synthesizing they finally managed to create their first artificial life form. But that wasn't enough." You paused one you realized that Asriel seemed to have a question.

"Sorry for interrupting you but, you said that you only exist because people wanted you to. Why exactly did people wanted that?" Asriel whispered almost inaudibly, too afraid of the answers he might get.

"In short, for their entertainment. They wanted someone to keep them company, to serve them in whatever way they desire. We were meant to be nothing more than an artificial breed of slaves." Asriel immediately regretted ever asking that question.

"Anyway, where was I?" You took a moment to recollect your thoughts.

"Being nothing more than an artificial life form wasn't enough. As I said, we were designed to serve and for that reason we needed adjustments. Nekos are not only designed to not age past maturity, they're also designed to reach maturity extraordinarily quickly."

"Wait, how old are you exactly?" Asriel cut you off, sounding shocked.

"Does it matter? I have both, the body and the mind of a twenty-one year old. Everything is working the way it's supposed to for someone around that age." You responded in a plain voice.

"So, you're actually older than I am?" Asriel was confused, looking at you as if you were explaining advanced quantum physics to him.

"Technically speaking I'm younger than you. We are considered to be of legal age by the government however." You avoided looking at Asriel, hoping you'd be able to hide you uncomfortable expression. 

"And what do you mean by designed not to age past maturity?" Asriel was staring at you and you could feel his eyes on your back. There was a strange mixture of interest, concern and disgust in his voice. It send a vile shiver down your spine.

"Exactly what is says. Maturity is reached within a few years, after that we stopped ageing completely no matter what. I don't know how they managed to do that but we certainly won't die of old age." You took a deep breath, pausing for a moment in case Asriel had more questions.

"Now, as I said before. I, and everyone that is like me, were created to serve. But hard-coding a set behavior into a sentient being proved to be quite difficult. In addition to that, it wouldn't be profitable. The leaders of the experiment knew that people had different tastes, that people wanted their Neko's to have a unique personality. So we were put into literal boot camps." You sighed, shaking your head slightly.

"There were numerous different kinds of so called "personality alignment facilities' or 'PAFs' for short. All of them were focusing on different traits. I was lucky I ended up in one of the 'better' ones." You hesitantly began talking about the worst part of your past.

"Teaching obedience was a standard in every facility and everyone that didn't do as they were told would be severely punished. Physical punishment, denial of food, solitary confinement, you name it. The 'PAF' focusing on complete subservience was the absolute worst from what I've heard. If anyone stepped out of line they'd be turned into an example of the consequences disobedience carries, even if it meant death." By now Asriel's expression was unreadable. It was as if he refused to believe what you're telling him.

"Are you saying that other nekos were killed simply because they didn't obey?" Asriel looked at you, hoping, begging, praying that what you just told him wasn't true.

"Yes, they were. Shot in front of the others. Those that survived were left to bleed out. These heinous crimes only happened in the complete subservience facilities however, and there weren't that many of them. The one's that ended up in the upbeat 'PAFs' were the better end of things. They were taught to always stay optimistic and spread their happy nature." You turned back to Asriel, looking in his moonlit face.

"While every facility was different all of them had one thing in common. They treated us like we were nothing more than worthless animals"

"And where did you end up?" Asriel tried to redirect the conversation but was almost too scared to ask.

"I don't remember the exact name but what I do remember is, that it was all about being the caring and protective kind. I know. It doesn't really sound like me, does it?" You added a sarcastic chuckle to the end.

"It does. Even if you show it in your own way, you are more caring than you think." Asriel smiled in a reassuring way.

You didn't know how to react and continued on with your story, eyes trailing off again. "Anyway, half way through my training program, the government intervened. Someone working at the project seemed to have had a change of heart and leaked enough information to have everyone working on the project jailed for life. Of course such a leak didn't go unnoticed and instead of being reasonable they decided to destroy everything related to the project." Your eyes trailed past Asriel, focusing on the darkness outside the window. 

"You remember when we met your father right? He wanted to say something but left abruptly." Asriel's expression began to shift at your words, almost as if he was trying really hard to remember something. After a minute or two, he nodded.

"What he was about to say... He wanted to say that I was one of the survivors." You spoke with an almost apathetic calmness.

"W- what happened?" Asriel whispered meekly.

"The unthinkable. They wanted to erase as much evidence as possible so they destroyed every recording, every document and killed as many of their creations as possible. Once the special units arrived, everyone that worked on the project decided to get out of their affairs by... Well, I guess you understand what I'm getting at." Your voice drifted into a more cynical tune.

"And in the end, society won't even accept us. We were created for their pleasure, because they wanted us to exist. They treat us like those godless abominations that we are." The expression on your face changed to one of pure anger, sovereing contempt lingering in your voice.

"You're not an abomination and neither are the ones like you." Asriel tried to reassure. 

"But we are. Once we reach adulthood we stop aging and nothing can change that. We can't have children even if we wanted to." Frustration began to grow inside you.

"what? Why? Why can't you have children?" Clearly bewildered, Asriel looked at you.

"Nekos are sterile in order to eliminate the chance of accidents happening. We are artificially created life designed to serve and perform whatever task is asked of us, no matter how sick and depraved it might be. We were never meant to be parents. We are meant to be toys. THAT is our only purpose. We are disposable." At the verge of breaking down, you began shaking and yet you didn't shed a single tear. You weren't designed to cry.

Asriel wanted to hug you, to pull you close to himself and tell you that everything will be fine but he was too afraid. He didn't know how you'd react at this point and he didn't want to risk making things worse.

An unbearably long moment of dreadful silence passed. The moon continued to wander across the sky, reducing the amount of light that illuminated the already dim room.

After numerous, dreadfully long minutes you spoke up again.

"So, how about you tell me about your life in the underground?" You almost sounded like you were demanding Asriel to tell you.

He remained quite for a good five minutes, then sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll tell you."

"Back when I was a child I used to be very lonely. Mom and dad were there for me all the time but I never had any real friends. Most monsters my age seemed to disliked me, saying I was a spoiled crybaby. I spend most of my time by myself. But all of that changed, once I met Chara. I thought things would finally get better. Little did I know just what exactly I got myself into." Asriel looked away. He really didn't want to tell his story but he felt obligated to do so.

"They became my adopted sibling and we spend a lot of time together. I was no longer alone. But now when I think about it, the more I'm starting to realize just how much of a bad person they were. I should've have realized after they simply laughed it off when we almost killed dad. I didn't realize how bad they were, not even after they talked me into that stupid plan they had. That stupid plan that not only got me killed but also made me go through hell more times than I can count." You could swear you saw tears forming in Asriel's eyes as his voice began to break.

"After I died, I woke up again, trapped in the body of a flower. I didn't feel anything, not a single emotion. I didn't know what was going on so I called for help. I hoped that someone could fix me but no one could. I did so many terrible things after that."

He paused for a moment, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Things are getting really complicated from here. I realized that I can jump back to a certain point in time. That's when I began messing around. I began to wonder what would happened if I began killing others. So I ended up killing everyone, over and over again. It was the only thing that kept me entertained." Asriel voice carried immense guilt.

"So I kept killing, resetting and the continued. That was until I got bored of that too and decided to let things play out by them self. At some point Frisk arrived and, for whatever reason, I was no longer able to jump back in time. So they began exploring the underground, killing others in self defense the first time they arrived. Turned out Frisk was now the one that can jump back in time." A long, disheartened sight left Asriel's throat.

"I don't know how many times they died, how many times they killed everyone and how many times they saved everyone. It happened too often to keep up." By now Asriel sounded almost dejected, staring outside the window.

"But the horror didn't end there. I don't know how they managed to do it but Frisk found a way to save me. At first I was incredibly grateful but as I mentioned before, Frisk was the one that could reset time. Countless times did they forced everyone back in their underground prison. Countless timed did they stripped them from their future, for reasons only they know. The fact that only a very few remembered made it even worse." He paused, a pained expression on his face.

"Can you imagine how it feels to go to sleep, only to wake up in the past turned present? At first I hoped they had a good reason but the more common these resets became, the more I lost faith in them. Frisk and I used to be great friends. Now I can't even stand looking at them. Too often did they forced everyone back in the underground, too often did they send me back to the hell that was my life as a flower." Asriel was clenching his fists, unfathomable anger welling up inside him.

You genuinely felt sorry for Asriel. This entire reset stuff was a little too complex for you but if his words held even a little bit of truth, then his life must have been a lot worse than yours. The uncertainty whether you'll see a new day or relive old days, it was far beyond anything you can imagine.

"You know what made these seemingly endless resets even worse? I don't know how many times I fell in love and how often I lost everything. I know what you must be asking yourself right now. After everything reset, why didn't I just approach whoever it was I was in love with at the time. The thing is, I did exactly that but after numerous resets it's just... I just couldn't do it anymore." Asriel's mood spiraled more and more downwards.

"Approaching someone you love as if they were total strangers, it hurts. You know them but they don't know you. I could have explained everything to them, about the resets and how we used to be dating but they would've called me insane. At some point, I simply gave up. I stopped chasing after people that can't remember me and the times we spend together. If it was meant to be, fate would have brought us together again." Tears began to freely fall from his eyes, staining the fur underneath.

"Was I one of these people you met?" You hesitantly asked, feeling uneasy about the possible answer.

Asriel didn't respond, not even with a gesture.

Numerous minutes passed in silence before Asriel spoke up again.

"I think it's best if I go to bed now. Good night ____." He sounded like he was in incredibly low spirits and sluggishly waltzed over to his bed.

"Good night." You responded as you crawled underneath your covers.

Sharing your stories with one another, it made you feel better but it also left a very bitter aftertaste. Knowing that everything could be gone tomorrow, you saw it as both, a blessing and a curse. Everything that happened, it could be made undone and you would remember none of it. But who is to say whether it will happen again or not?

Maybe you and Asriel did know each other or maybe you didn't, he didn't answer. Either way, tonight gave you a lot to think about.


	8. Calm

You wake up from your uneasy and all too short slumber, feeling as if the heavy weight that rests on your shoulder got just a little lighter. Asriel, to your own surprise, was still fast asleep.

The morning sun threw it's soft light in the room, giving off the feeling of a new beginning. It almost felt as if an ocean of dark gray clouds finally dispersed after countless years, giving place to the first real sunrise. But even though the skies were clear, it still felt as if the storm hasn't passed yet.

It was still rather early and you didn't really feel like getting out of bed, but this was college and not vacation, you had to get used to it. So you crawled out of bed and sluggishly walked to the bathroom. A nice shower should help you wake up. A few minutes later and you stepped out of the shower again, feeling only slightly more awake. While you were busy drying yourself off and brushing your hair the sound of someone trying to open the door, knocking following soon after, caught your attention. Fortunately you locked the door.

"____, are you in there?" A voice, presumably Asriel's, could be heard from outside.

"Yeah, what's the matter?" You answered in a relatively casual voice.

"Nothing, just asking." Asriel responded.

Once you finished up you left the bathroom, spotting Asriel sitting on his bed. He looked like he was still tired, almost as if he got no sleep at all.

"Are you alright?" You asked, feeling slightly worried.

"Kinda. It's just, I've been thinking about everything you told me. I couldn't get any sleep because of it." He sighed, looking like he's about to fall asleep again at any moment. "It explains a lot about you and why you're the way you are."

"But it doesn't explain what I am." You looked off to the side with gloomy expression.

"You're human." Asriel said, almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. At least to him it was.

"Am I? I don't feel human." You began to sound frustrated. The lack of identity began to drive you crazy.

Asriel, however, had a questioning look on his face. Things were already starting to get a little above his head. Probably because he's still tired.

"I mean, I'm clearly not human. You just have to look at my ears and tail. Heck, even my eyes aren't human. So if I am human, does that mean you're human too? What does it mean to be 'human' in the first place? What does it mean to be 'monster'? Is there a difference? If not, then why do differentiate between them?" You began to ask countless questions. Questions with an infinite amount of answers, none of them right or wrong.

While you kept asking questions that no one could give you answers too, Asriel's brain began smoking. That was until he came up with, what he thought to be, a great answer.

"You are ____, that's who you are." He proudly exclaimed his half cooked idea.

"____, you say? So I'm a name, nothing more and nothing less. Would that mean that I'd loose my identity if I loose my name? Would you loose you identity if you lost your name? A name is just a word we use to refer to each other. It's only a part of who you are. But I guess I know what you're trying to say and I'd have to agree. I am me, that's who I am and that's who I always will be." A long sigh, almost as if you held your breath for a long time, escaped your throat.

"Ehm, yeah. That's exactly what I was trying to say." Asriel quickly blurted out. Your conclusion was totally not what he was getting at. He himself didn't know what he was getting at.

"Anyway, can we please talk about something else? You're going to give me an identity crisis." He added, sounding like things were getting way too complicated for him to follow in his current state.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I hope." With a quick apology you flopped back on your bed.

"So, classes are going to start tomorrow." You stated, looking over to Asriel.

"Yeah, they do." He didn't seem all that excited. On the other hand, neither did you.

"Let me guess, your taking philosophy class?" Asriel joked.

"Nah. Philosophy is something you can talk about in a small group and with a cold beer." You joked back.

"For once I'm glad I don't drink. Even if I would, I can't hold that much alcohol. My first time was also my last time." Asriel quickly clasped his mouth shut once he realized he told you more than he wanted.

"What do you mean by that?" You sounded like you've taken genuine interest in what he said. Perhaps last night made you bond more than you realized.

"It's a really embarrassing story." With an awkward look on his face, Asriel looked off to the side. "Maybe one day I'll tell you."

"Fine by me." You casually shrugged your shoulders.

"What classes did you sign up for, if I may ask?" Asriel looked at you with curiosity in both, his voice and expression.

"I have no idea. That entire integration program just threw me into whatever classes were free." You sounded almost a little mad.

"So you're basically going to end up in classes you may not want to be in? That sounds incredibly stupid if you ask me. What if you fail all your classes and end up on the streets?" Asriel was upset and understandably so. He brought up a good point.

"Guess I'll live on the streets then." You sarcastically answered.

"And what if someone tries to rob you or worse?" Instead of staying reasonable, Asriel began to picture the worst.

"Then I'll beat them up with a salmon." You jokingly answered.

"That totally sounds like you." Asriel actually began laughing, something you didn't expect.

"We did know each other, didn't we?" You asked plainly.

Asriel remained silent once again, almost as if he didn't want to answer. Or maybe he simply couldn't answer because you've never met before. Whatever his reasons may be, you'd probably never find out about them.

A gloomy atmosphere hung in the air, stagnant and slowly degrading everyone's mood.

"Hey, how about we compare our schedules." You tried to sound cheerful as you attempted to draw the attention to something else.

"Sure, why not." Asriel looked up again, his smile returning.

So you pulled out your schedules, comparing the different classes you had and when and where they would take place. Turns out that your schedules were nearly identical, except for one or two classes.

Looks like fate does have plans for you and Asriel. The only question that remains is how exactly this plan looks like.

"Well, seems like we'll be seeing a lot of each other." You jokingly mentioned.

"What do you mean, see a lot of each other. You've already seen everything there is to see about me." Asriel retorted, looking at you with a wide smile.

"Which not only was a lot more than I EVER wanted to see but also left me thoroughly unimpressed." You answered dead pan. 

"Hey! Don't blame me alright. Blame the fact that I got most of my genes from my mother." He looked at you in mock offense.

You were certainly no expert in genetics but even you knew that what he said was nonsense.

"C'mon, you're a prince and sooner or later a king. Nothing about you looks appropriate for someone of that status." Keeping the currently rather light-hearted mood, you continued your playful teasing.

"What's that supposed to mean? I can't just snap my fingers and..." Asriel paused for a moment, placing a hand on his chin. "Well, I can but that just wouldn't feel right."

"I'm not sure I follow. You can just snap your fingers and adjust anything about your body?" You looked at him with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"Every monster can, even if they don't know about it. It does have it's limits however." He, more or less, confirmed what you said though he didn't seem all that thrilled about it.

"Mind telling me why you're still single then? I mean, if you have almost total control over how you look then why not use that?" At this point you were just confused.

"Because I want people to like me for who I am and not for how I look. Also, it's just aesthetic. I can make myself look stronger than I am but that's it. Height is something different but even that is limited. Two meters is the highest I can go. There are other aspects magic can be used on ..."

"You're telling me more than I need to know again." You cut Asriel off mid sentence, fully aware of where this conversation was going.

"Sorry." Asriel scratched the back of his neck. It seemed as if this was some sort of habit of his.

A short moment of silence passed, until you came up with a rather silly idea. Possibly the silliest idea you had yet.

"If you can use magic to adjust parts of your body, do you think it'd work on me?" An almost hopeful tune was hidden in your voice.

"I don't think so. Why would you want that anyway? I think you look great the way you are right now." And now Asriel was flirting with you, kind of.

This was the moment where you're supposed to blush but that would imply you had romantic feelings for him, which you didn't. At least not at this point in time. Right now you saw him as a friend, a friend you pretend to be dating.

"Hey, I just remembered something. We're going to continue to act like we're dating, right? So what should we do when one of your parents hears about it and begins to ask questions?" You watched how Asriel became significantly more uneasy at your question.

"I uhm, well. Maybe we should... no. Ehm, I guess we can... No, that won't work either." Asriel began thinking, really, REALLY hard but failed to come to a conclusion.

"How about we just tell them the truth?" You suggested, trying not to sound too condescending about it.

"That works too." Asriel clapped his hands together tough he did look like he wasn't completely sure about it.

"Just what exactly was your idea?" Hoping for something tame but still expecting the worst, you asked your rather simple question.

"Well, I thought about running away together and starting a new life in a far away country with new names and identities." He didn't sound like he actually meant it. You hoped he didn't.

"Just joking. My idea was that we stop just pretending and get serious." While Asriel looked like he actually meant it this time, you simply responded with the most serious look you could muster up.

"No? Well, I never said it was a good idea." He looked away with a hint of disappointment on his face.

"Then how about we join the drama club. It might help us to put up a more convincing act." Asriel slowly began to sound a little desperate. He really wanted to spend as much time with you as possible.

"Fine." You enthusiasm remained below reasonable levels. Asriel, however, was euphoric. So much that you could almost swear you heard him squeal.

And so you once again made your way to the drama club, this time to actually join. Maybe.

A good five minute walk and several stares from other students later and you arrived. An unexpectedly large amount of noise came from inside the room. Whatever the club was doing right now, it probably got out of hand again.

You opened the door, remaining unnoticed by most people.

"Seriously Elena. Do you really think that the prince, of all people, will join our club?" One of the members asked.

Elena remained silent, a smug expression on her face as she looked towards the door.

The rest of the club fell silent once they realized just who stood in the door.

"Hey guys, what brings you here?" Elena approached you, sounding cheerful as always.

"We would like to join the club." Asriel sounded like he had second thoughts about joining the drama club.

An almost radiant smile began to spread on Elena's face as she turned around to face the rest of the club.

"I told you. I told you he would join. Now." She held out her hand as she spoke in a victorious tune. "Pay up everyone."

You and Asriel were equally confused, watching as the entire club handed money to Elena. Looks like she just won a bet.

Once everyone payed their part, Elena turned around to face you again.

"Welcome to club you two. We're currently trying assign the roles for our first ever play." She proudly exclaimed.

"What's it about?" Asriel asked, looking at her like he was unsure whether he should be excited or worried.

"Well, it's a little complicated. It's not the entire story, because that would be way too complicated, but rather a very small part of it. It's a story that takes place within the story." Elena's best attempt to explain everything left you even more confused.

"So, a sub plot?" You commented.

"Not really. It's a major part of the main story but it can also be seen as a standalone thing." She looked like she had no idea what the story was about.

"Anyway, you too are perfect for the main roles." She immediately returned to her usual cheerful nature again, assigning you to play the main character.

The rest of the club wasn't all that impressed with Elena's choice, some even making their protest vocal, which she skillfully ignored.

"No objections? Great. Here's the script. Practice is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. See you guys then." And now she simply handed you the scripts and ushered you out of the room. She didn't even tell you what the play was about.

"Well, that just happened. How about we take a look at the script?" Asriel looked befuddled and almost a little offended.

"Yeah, let's do that." You agreed and began walking back to your dorm.

Back in you room, you and Asriel began skimming through the script. In became very clear that romance was involved to a certain degree. The characters you and Asriel were to represent could hardly be any different.

Judging by the script you and Asriel were to take on the roles of two princes from different kingdoms. Of course there would be action, drama, the obligatory romance, more action, something that could resemble a plot-twist, a little more romance and even more action. You were almost a little scared by all the amounts of action going on in that play. Throw in a ton of explosion and a car chase and you got yourself a blockbuster.

This was supposed to be a simple stage play and not some sort series with a great first part, an even better second part and a third part that turns the series into a raging dumpster fire.

Once you were done skimming through the script, you looked over to Asriel. He looked back, both excited and a little afraid for the same reason.

"So, I guess we have to take our relationship on the stage." You said, sounding not all that excited.

"That's not the problem, we've already been doing that for the past days. The real problem is the kissing scene." A blush began to creep up on Asriel's face.

A kissing scene, of course. No play featuring romance is complete without a kissing scene.

"Well, I'm sure we'll figure something out." Asriel reassured.

"I guess so." You agreed, not feeling comfortable at all with what Asriel got you into again.

"What do you think about the play?" He chirped, beginning to sound more and more cheerful.

"I don't really know yet. I skimmed through most of it. Could be great, could be the worst thing ever. Or anything in between, really." You remained neutral, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

You continued to read through the script, trying to get a feel for the world and the characters involved.

"Do you have any idea what was up with Elena earlier? She kinda seemed to be in a hurry." Asriel's concerned question caused you too look up from your script.

"Nope, no clue. I guess she's simply a little surprised by the fact that you actually joined and now she's trying to bring some order in that mess that is the drama club." You answered with an honest, albeit somewhat rude, answer.

"Is really that bad? I mean, it can't be that bad right? Right?" Insecurity began to dominate Asriel's voice.

"I've only been there once but things got really out of hand. Practice started like they seriously wanted to accomplish something but halfway through everything turned into a mess." It didn't sound like you had high hopes for the drama club.

"That doesn't mean they won't take this serious, this is the real deal after all." Asriel sounded almost childishly naïve.

"I hope you're right." Unlike Asriel, you tried to stay realistic. Or maybe you're just a bit pessimistic.

Both of you returned to reading through the script. It left you severely worried. Judging by the script, they'd need tons and tons of special effects. How they are supposed to add these to a stage play was something that was almost too terrifying to imagine. They're probably going to use magic. While that could be a good idea, it could also cause disaster. As long as they don't end up burning down the place, which doesn't seem all that unlikely, everything should be fine.

It was around noon when the sounds of, what you could only describe as, a starving beast caught your attention. Looks like someone, that someone being Asriel, was quite hungry. Understandably so, you did skip breakfast.

"How about we go and get lunch." You said, as you closed the rather big book that was your script.

"That's probably the best idea of today." Asriel smiled as he got up from his bed. "So, where are we going? Cafeteria or town?"

"Your call." Instead of making a poor decision, you redirected the question to Asriel.

"Cafeteria it is then. That way we have more time to learn the script." Say what you want, Asriel seemed really dedicated to that entire drama club thing.

So you decided to got to the cafeteria for lunch.

Classes haven't even started yet and you already had to learn an entire script. Pair that with upcoming classes and all the studies that come with them and you already had more stuff do to than you originally planed for. But as long as everything pays out in the end, you should be fine. Probably.


	9. Games

Lunch passed by rather quick and you were already back on your way to your dorm. Students were still talking about you and Asriel, which didn't surprise you. Why wouldn't they? Everyone was thinking you were dating by now. It was only a matter of time before they would begin asking stupid questions, until people would begin attacking you or Asriel for reasons only they will understand.

As you continued walking down the endlessly stretching hallways, where lockers were strung together like rows of dominoes, you caught numerous students looking at you. Some of their looks held envy others disdain and yet others seemed heartbroken. You almost, ALMOST, felt sorry for everyone that actually believed the illusion you conjured up. In the end, these people had no one to blame but themselves. They blindly believed what they saw, not once asking questions.

Not bothering to waste another thought on them, you continued walking towards the general direction of your room. Just as you were about to pass through the door that connected the main building with the dormitories, you were stopped by a visibly upset student.

"Just who do you think you are?" The dreadful screeching, of what you could only assume to be a banshee, pierced through your ears.

"Excuse me?" It took her only five seconds and you already felt how you ears began to twitch uncontrollably. This woman looked and acted like embodiment of the overused evil queen trope.

"How dare you, a lowly peasant, bother Asriel with your repulsive presence?" Lovely, it was another one of those pompous dimwits attacking you.

"Just who the hell are you?" You hissed back at her. It was people like that that made you furious.

"I do not have to answer to a lowborn like you." She turned her head away from you as she spoke down to you.

While you were visibly struggling to contain you rapidly intensifying rage, Asriel did... something. It almost seemed as if he was typing something on his phone. You weren't quite sure what it was but he had a devilish smirk across his face. He had a plan and judging by his face it must be evil.

"To be honest, I too would like who you are." Asriel tried his best to sound like royalty, with moderate success.

A shiver of disgust ran down his spine as he shook her hand. He obviously wanted to get away from this lovely individual in front of you.

"I shall forgive you for your inappropriate approach, seeing that you must have spend more time than you should have around that... thing." She pointed at you with disgust on her face.

Something began to feel odd, as if unfathomably dark and dangerous magic began to manifest. Asriel seemed to be the center of that dark, suffocating force. Not once did you took the time to closely study his face before, but you were pretty sure that those black streaks running underneath his eyes were new. You were pretty sure that the entirety of his fur was white as snow, you know for a fact it was. After all you did saw Asriel in his entirety, a picture you couldn't forget no matter how much you try.

"I am Anastasia von Königsburg. It is a great pleasure to finally be able to see you in person, prince Asriel." Just watching her act all high and mighty with her face that was covered in more make-up than that of a clown, it made you consider drastic measures. A simple look at her revealed that she was completely caught in a delusional perception of sovereignty and grandeur.

"Likewise." Asriel made it quite obvious that the feeling wasn't mutual, speaking in a spiteful tone.

"May I ask, why do you burden yourself with, whatever that thing is that is following you?" If she kept talking down to you like that you might end up seriously hurting her.

"That is none of your business." Asriel struggled not to shout her down, sounding stern and cold.

"Please, don't tell you intend to 'use' that toy. Abominations like that are only meant to be euthanized." That's it. Whoever this Anastasia girl is, she just crossed the line.

If your ears could twitch any faster than they already do, you'd probably take off and fly away. Your anger grew to a point where even the slightest disturbance could cause disaster.

Just as you were about to unleash your fury and tear her to tiny shreds right then and there, Toriel approached and she looked mad, furious even. Even though you have done nothing wrong, you feared for the worst. Toriel simply handed Anastasia a letter. A short moment passed, before you were overrun by an immense sense of satisfaction.

"EXPELLED? How DARE you?" She screeched enraged, face warped by surprise and disbelief.

"For breaching our no-tolerance policy. Your room has already been vacated. If you don't leave now I'll have campus security escort you outside." Toriel sounded like she had very little sympathy.

"I, no. The Königsburg family will NOT stand for this. This is preposterous. I simply speak what everyone thinks. This freak should not exist." She continued to freak out, hurling insults at you.

The more you think about it, the more you wanted to laugh. How pitiful was that girl to get so offended by your mere existence. You still wanted to tear her to shreds though.

"Miss von Königsburg, I am not going to say it again. Leave now or I will contact campus security." Toriel repeated herself, sounding less and less patient.

Anastasia threw her hands up, spewing out insults in an entirely different language and left.

In an instant, the atmosphere began to change. The aura of danger and death faded and overall things seemed much more peaceful.

"I see you two are getting along." It amazed you how quickly Toriel could switch from 'dead serious' to 'loving mother'.

"Yes, we are." Asriel chirped back, smiling all the way. The black stripes that were present just a second ago seemed to have vanished.

"I'm glad to hear that." A motherly smile spread across Toriel's face. "Take care and don't forget to study."

You and Asriel watched as Toriel left and disappeared in one of the countless hallways.

"How did she knew what was going on?" You turned to face Asriel in confusion.

"I called her so she could listen to what was going on. And it looked like she came just in time. I was just about to send that girl six feet under." Asriel sounded like was still mad.

You knew perfectly well just how dangerous you could be when you were mad but Asriel, he was in a completely different league. No matter how cute and innocent he might look, with his long and floppy ears, these two adorable fangs and that smile that always says 'I'm there for you', something about him wasn't quite right.

He looked like he was about to snap, and should that ever happen you really want to be far, far away. That magic he summoned up, it felt as if it could erase the very fabric that binds this, and every other universe. It was mildly terrifying, knowing that someone like Asriel possessed such power.

"What would have remained of her. If it wasn't for Toriel's on time arrival, I would have turned that girl into minced meat." You took a deep breath, composing yourself as much as possible.

"How about we go to the arcade, I think I saw a fighting game there. Perfect to let off some steam, don't you think so?" Asriel quickly changed the topic and of course he just had to give you the puppy eyes.

"You know what, that doesn't sound bad." While your ears were still flickering slightly, you were mostly composed by now.

"Great, let's go then." Asriel turned around a little too quickly, smacking you with one of his ears by accident.

While it didn't hurt, you still looked rather displeased. Today looked like another classic case of 'not my day' syndrome.

The moment Asriel noticed what happened, a bright blush began to spread over his face, shining through his pure-white fur.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry." He tried to hide his face with his hands, but failed to do so.

"Don't worry about it." You remained nonchalant. Or at least you tired. Your ears were still twitching ever so slightly.

"Well then, let's go. The arcade is waiting for us." Asriel, sounding quite content, grabbed your hand and was ready to drag you along with him.

Just as you were about to leave the campus grounds, you remembered the reason why you ate at the cafeteria in the first place.

"Weren't we supposed to learn our scripts?" Your voice sounded almost worried but the caprine monster in front of you didn't even think about stopping.

"Nonsense. We still have plenty of time to learn them. Also, it's our last day before classes start. We should enjoy it as much as we can." Asriel sounded carefree. Not a single worry seemed to be on his mind, even though he just got a student expelled.

Instead of protesting, or in any other way rejecting him, you decided to let him drag you along. Asriel tried his very best to befriend you and even though he can be a little clumsy, he seems to be a nice guy. Maybe too nice for his own good.

Halfway through town he returned to a more casual walk and finally let go of your hand. Having Asriel drag you along through town did feel a little awkward. On the other hand, watching his long, floppy ears wave in the wind was kind of amusing.

Only a few minutes later and you arrived at the arcade, where you were once again welcomed by it's neon interior.

"Wait, do we even have chips to play these games?" You asked, catching Asriel's attention.

"Yep, I still have a bunch of them left." He answered cheerfully, his smile becoming more and more contagious.

"C'mon, the game's right over there." And Asriel dashed off, dragging you with him.

The game he wanted to play with you looked relatively new. The graphics looked sharp and detailed, the motions were fluid and the soundtrack was pretty decent too. The display was currently showing a demo fight. Unlike most beat em ups, where movement was two dimensional, this one featured three dimensional movement. Some stages even featured breakable walls or floors, some both, others neither.

"Do you have any idea how to play this game, because I don't." Asriel looked at you, his clueless expression making him look almost adorable.

"Nope, not a single clue." Your response was plain but honest.

"Well, guess we'll just have to mash buttons and hope for the best." How does he manage to stay optimistic all the time?

Asriel inserted a chip into the machine and choose the two player option. Seeing that neither of you know how to play the game, you decided to let chance choose your characters. Once the stage loaded and the fight began, you and Asriel began to franticly push buttons in hopes to land a combo. While Asriel was out luck you somehow chained together attack after attack, much to Asriel's displeasure. You had no idea what was happening but you somehow managed to win.

Asriel clearly wouldn't have it and immediately challenged you to a rematch. This time he choose the character you last played while you let the RNG decide your fate. The next stage loaded and Asriel instantly began to push buttons and directions, causing his character to do a handstand, roll backwards, do another handstand, flop like a fish out of water and do yet another handstand. The clicking of his claws against the button echoed through the arcade.

You decided to be merciful and occasionally pushed a few button, blocking most of Asriel's incoming attacks.

Once again, you emerged victorious causing Asriel to throw his hand up in frustration.

"How? HOW?! This is stupid!" Asriel began ranting.

You began to chuckle. Seeing Asriel, a snow white, innocent looking monster, throw such a tantrum just because he lost at a game. It was almost a little childish.

"Best of five wins!" He challenged you to another rematch, determined to win.

"Fine by me." You simply agreed.

Another random selection of characters and stage later and Asriel actually tried to employ the character's moves through trial and error. You decided to let him win and just stood there, only attacking to open your defense.

"WHAT? WHY? Why would you add a move that damages your own character?" Asriel began shouting once again. He somehow found a move that would hurt his own character.

Even though you consciously tried to let him win, Asriel still managed to lose against you.

"Final round, winner takes all!" Even after losing three matches in a row, each loss more embarrassing, Asriel was determined to win at least once.

"Alright then." You agreed, even though you were hesitant about it.

Yet another chip was inserted into the machine and once more both of you let fate choose your characters. Once the stage loaded in, the final fight began. The mindless bashing of button could be heard all throughout the arcade, raising numerous eyebrows from other visitors.

You started off strong, accidentally deploying a combo that chopped off about two-thirds off Asriel's health in the first five seconds. Asriel's emerald eyes were fixed on the screen as he stared in disbelief. Seconds later, his otherwise loving and caring expression changed to seething rage.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT! NO! I do NOT accept this. You're cheating." Frustrated, Asriel turned away from the machine with his arms crossed.

Seeing that Asriel obviously rage-quitted, you decided to finish the job. With just a few more attacks you defeated your opponent, a golden 'perfect' flashing over the screen.

"SERIOUSLY? That's just rude." Asriel seemed almost offended that you would just defeat him, even though he has given up.

"Really? You gave up, I win by default." You didn't really know how to react so you decided to remain factual.

"NO. You're cheating, I win! End of discussion!" He turned his back towards you, continuing his childish tantrum.

People began staring at you and Asriel, unsure about what exactly was going on.

"Alright, fine. You win." In an attempt to cut this awkward situation as short as possible, you decided to give in.

Asriel didn't budge. It was as if he was deeply offended.

"Seriously? You're really going down that road? C'mon now, you're better than that." You tried to appease the obviously huffy goat monster in front of you.

"You CAN make it up to me." Asriel really did sound like a child right now.

"I'm listening." With the expectation that Asriel is going to say something incredibly stupid, you showed yourself ready for negotiation.

"Kiss me." He demanded, sounding completely serious.

"And I thought you were better than that." You expected something stupid, but this is just disappointing.

"If you don't kiss me, I won't look at you for the rest of the day." Asriel really wanted that kiss.

"I can live with that." Much to Asriel's dismay, you simply shrugged his offer off.

"A kiss on the cheek is enough." He was already giving in and turned around, sounding almost like he was pleading.

"Please?" The moment he saw your unflinching expression he knew that he had nothing to say in this negotiation.

After the shortest staring in history Asriel gave up, his head hanging low as his ears dangled in front of his face.

"Sorry for throwing such a tantrum." He sounded apologetic and embarrassed.

In an attempt to console him you gently patted his shoulders, hoping it would signal him that everything's alright.

"How about we go back to campus? I don't really feel like playing games anymore." Asriel looked back up to you again, his expression speaking volumes. He was done for today.

You simply nodded and left the arcade with Asriel closely following behind.

The walk back to campus was awkwardly quite. Neither of you found a topic to talk about and everything you could talk about would make things even more awkward than they already were.

It was around 6 p.m. when you arrived back on the campus grounds and after a quick stop in the cafeteria, you returned to your room.

Hoping you could put the rest of the day to good use, you continued reading through the script. But something wasn't quite right. Every time you glanced over the books edge, you saw Asriel and just how glum his expression seemed.

He was facing downwards, his long ears idly swinging back and forth slightly. What happened at the arcade today really seems to bother him.

"Asriel, are you alright?" You spoke to him in the softest voice you could muster up.

"Hmm, yeah. Don't worry about me." He sounded like he didn't want to bother you as he looked up briefly.

"You can tell me, you know?" In an attempt to coax more out of him, you kept you comparatively soft tune.

After several minutes of silence, Asriel sighed and looked back up.

"Do you consider me to be annoying, or stupid, or just bothersome?" Asriel looked like he was about to cry, his posture limp and dejected.

"What? Why would you say that?" You were seriously worried why he would bring up something like that all of sudden.

"I mean, don't you think I'm just trying too hard. I've been so desperate to make friends with you, to become more than that, that I just... I completely forgot that some things simply aren't meant to be." Tears began forming in his eyes as he began sobbing.

"Asriel, listen. I know you're trying to be nice, I know you're trying to be my friend but I told you what happened in my past. I want to be your friend, I really do. It's just, it's difficult to trust someone when all you know is, well. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I just need time. Lots of it. All of this is completely new and foreign to me." You yourself were starting to feel a little down.

"So I should slow down a little?" Asriel's expression began to lighten up a little. A hint of hope in both, his voice and expression.

"Yeah, I guess so." With a soft, barely visible smile, you looked at Asriel.

"So I didn't blew my chances?" By now, Asriel's hopes seemed to have returned. His smile came back to his face and his posture looked like he was ready to take on the world.

"No, not at all." You chuckled slightly, Asriel sure was something.

The evening slowly faded over to night and once you were ready for bed, you immediately disappeared underneath the sheets. Classes would start tomorrow and from there on, things would get a lot busier. You just hoped things wouldn't get too hectic with Asriel, your studies and the drama club.


	10. Practice Makes Perfect

The sound of an incredibly loud and annoying alarm jolted you out of your slumber, nearly giving you a heart attack. In an almost instinctual motion you began to wildly flail your arms around, in hopes of crushing the source of that pesky noise.

While you were slapping air, the annoying sound of the alarm went silent and was replaced by Asriel's, slightly less annoying, laughter.

"You can stop now, the alarm is off." Asriel moderately succeeded at containing his amusement.

You simply looked in Asriel's general direction, nowhere near awake enough to actually say something.

"Sorry if my alarm woke you up but classes are starting so we HAVE to get up early." Asriel continued as he began shuffling through his wardrobe.

A simple, stretched 'meh' was your only response.

You slowly began opening your eyes, seeing the world as nothing more than a blurry mess. Amidst the mess you saw something, probably Asriel, moving. Soon after it disappeared in the bathroom, the sound of rushing water seeping out from behind the door.

As your vision slowly began to sharpen again, you decided to get out of bed and pick today's clothes. Just when you were done, the door to the bathroom opened. You did not dare to turn around.

"Don't worry, you can turn around." A reassuring voice spoke from behind you.

"Knowing you, you're probably butt naked. So, no thanks. I'll just keep my eyes closed and hope I'll find the bathroom without breaking my spine." You tried to sound like your joking but your still tired voice made it come out much more neutral than you hoped.

And so you began your blind journey through your shared room, one arm stretched out while the other one held your clothes.

"Careful, you might trip and fall in my arms." Asriel joked, sounded like he was insinuating something.

"Careful, you might just catch more than you bargained for." You attempted a word play but your brain was still in sleep mode.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asriel pretended to sound angry, knowing full you weren't serious.

You simply made a slapping motion and continued to tumble towards the bathroom.

Eventually your reached your destination and locked the door behind you. This time you decided to take a cold shower and so you turned down the waters temperature. Unaware as to how cold the water exactly was, you stepped under the shower and regretted it immediately. It was freezing cold. On the bright side, you're definitely awake now. You quickly turned up the temperature again and continued.

Once you were done, you stepped out of the shower, only to realize that the water wasn't draining properly. Upon closer inspection you spotted countless white hairs clogging the drain. These had to belong to Asriel.

You sighed and dried yourself off. Once dressed you stepped outside and saw a for once fully dressed Asriel.

"Asriel, I think you clogged the drain." You immediately confronted Asriel about the little problem with the drain.

Asriel's formerly happy expression changed to mild annoyance.

"Seriously, already? Have you checked the cabinet above the sink? There should be something to clean the drain in there." He didn't sound all that happy.

"Do you really expect me to clean up the mess you made? It's your fur that's clogging the drain, not mine." Your voice didn't sound all that amused either.

"Fine, I'll take care of it." Asriel disappeared in the bathroom for a moment.

"There, done. Just remind me to clean any residue later. That stuff in there is pretty nasty" He looked over to you as he walked towards the door.

Feeling peckish, you quickly followed him.

The way to the cafeteria was surprisingly uneventful, except for a few stares from other students. They were still gossiping about you and Asriel but this time topics were more spicy. Now that everyone believes you're dating each other people ask themselves what exactly if going on between you. Basically celebrity news that no one really cares about.

While you tried your best to ignore them, Asriel seemed to be a little bothered. They were gossiping about the weirdest, and sometimes downright uncomfortable, things. 

"What's wrong with these people? Why would they care who of us is the dominant one? Why would anyone care? I mean, we all know it's me." Asriel began whispering to you, sounding like he was quite sure of himself. 

You simply glared back at him, not even commenting on what he just said. 

"You know what, maybe I was wrong. Yep, definitely wrong. Please stop looking at me like that, thanks." He quickly began to back paddle, his former confidence completely gone. 

Should you ever fight for dominance, you might want to take it to the edge of the universe. Though you were pretty sure there wouldn't be much of a fight in the first place. Knowing Asriel, he would either surrender immediately or smear you across the multiverse. 

"Are you suggesting that you..." You wanted to say something but reconsidered once you saw Asriel's flushed expression. 

Instead of taking this conversation to even weirder levels, you decided to drop it. You simply continued walking to the cafeteria to enjoy a good breakfast. 

As expected, the cafeteria was crowded. Students were pushing and shoving each other, hoping they could claim the more popular treats. You and Asriel decided to go for something simple, pancakes.

Once seated at your usual location, you began to dig in. The pancakes were o.k. Nothing terrible, but also nothing above average.

Breakfast passed without anything noteworthy happening.

You moved on to class. Up first was everyone favorite subject, math. Because everyone needs to know how to calculate the theoretical volume of the sun.

And so you sat there while the teacher, after a quick introduction, began to rehearse the basic so everyone would be on the same page.

Math eventually passed after what felt like an eternity and a half and next was magic. This college actually teaches magic to students. So you packed your things and followed Asriel to the next room.

While you choose to sit down by the window, Asriel, as expected, took the seat next to you.

"Do you know anything about magic?" Asriel leaned over to you, smiling widely. He looked quite eager to explain everything to you.

"Nope, nothing at all. I don't even know whether I'm able to use magic or not." While it didn't really show you were quite interested in magic.

"There is so much interesting stuff to learn about magic. The different kinds of magic that exist, souls, soul traits, differences between human and monster souls, differences between soul traits and..." Asriel excited rambling was cut off when the teacher entered the room.

It seemed as if Toriel herself decided to educate everyone on magic, which was mildly terrifying. Having the founder and current headmistress of this college, as well as queen of monsters and mother of your roommate teach you was a situation you never thought to be in.

And so Toriel began talking about the basics of magic, explaining everything in words even you could understand.

The remaining classes came as fast as they passed, which was nowhere near as fast as you hoped they would, and drama practice was rapidly approaching.

Right now you were sitting on your bed, reading through the first part of the play's first act while Asriel was cleaning up the mess he made in the shower. It looked like the play wasn't going to pull any punches. Only a few minutes in and you already had to kill someone. You were concerned where the play would go and how romance would fit into the narrative.

Once you have familiarized yourself with the script as much as you could in what little time you had left, you checked the clock. Practice would begin in fifteen minutes.

Just as you were about to get Asriel, he stepped out of the bath.

"We have practice, right?" He looked at you, his emerald eyes glistering with excitement.

"Yep. It's about time we get moving." You confirmed, sounding somewhat excited yourself.

So you once again departed for the drama club, more or less looking forward to today's practice.

An uneventful five minute walk later and you stood in font of the door. While you were ready to open the door and enter, Asriel looked quite uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Uhm ____, I need to tell you something." Asriel sounded almost scared.

"I'm all ears." You turned around, facing the distressed goat.

"It's about why I wanted to join the drama club. You see, as the prince of monsters, I'm a person of public interest. Sooner or later I'll have to give public speeches and I'm pretty terrified of that. So I joined, hoping the drama club could help me deal with that." He quickly blurted out his reasons.

"Then what are you waiting for? Get in there, the others are waiting for us." Seeing that you were running late, you quickly ushered Asriel inside.

Everyone was already assembled and waiting for you and Asriel.

"About time you guys show up. We were almost worried you would ditch us." Elena, seemingly pleased, greeted you the moment you stepped inside.

"So, did you skimmed through the scripts?" She continued, looking eager to get everything going.

"Yes, I think I got the gist of the first act." You were quite confident, much unlike Asriel.

He simply let his gaze wander across the room, twiddling his thumbs as he stood there like he was a background prop. Luck was on his side though, since he had little screen time in the first act.

"Well then, well start practice once we've set up the props." Elena rushed over to where the props were located and began calling everyone together.

The entire prop setup began and you watched how amazingly quick they were when it came to setting everything up. Numerous dividers, painted to look like castle walls, were lined up next to each other. Marble colored stairs were placed in front of a throne painted in golden colors. A red rug was rolled out in front of the stairs and pillars were set up. They even set up a system of ropes, used to lift someone in the air. You slowly got the feeling that, through some sort of temporal space time anomaly, you ended up on an actual movie set.

Once the stage was set it looked like the inside of a castle, which was exactly what they were going for.

Then everyone was handed their costumes. Yours was quite something. A black robe adorned with intricate, colorful patterns. It's complex design and royal aura made it quite clear that you would play a very influential prince. Along with the robe you were handed a single, long, white glove for your dominant hand as well as a fancy looking, albeit fake, sword.

Once you were dressed, Elena approached you again.

"I know this might sound a little rude but you have to hide your ears and tail." She looked quite serious, a lot more serious than you thought she could be.

While your tail was easy to hide underneath the robe, your ears were a different story. No matter how much you'd flatten them against your head, a small part of them would always remain visible. Elena didn't seem to mind though. Quite the opposite actually. It looked like this was exactly what she had in mind.

"Alright everyone. Everything's set, we're ready for practice." She called out and everyone took their position.

You sat down on your throne, arms resting on the armrest.

"Action!" With a final call from Elena, practice began.

The first part of the first act began with you talking to an advisor.

"Do we have any news from the west?" You looked at him with a serious expression, voice cold and stern.

"No, nothing. We were unable to gather any further information on the choir. My apologies." Your advisor bowed in respect.

You let out a long sigh.

"They say no news are good news, but in this case I'd beg to differ. If the choir succeeds in their endeavors we'll have an unparalleled crisis at our hands. I can not allow that to happen." You fell deep into thought, thinking about how to act in case the unthinkable happens.

"My lord, why do you concern yourself with the actions of the choir? The city of stars lies on the continent far in the west. Their business is their own." You advisor looked at you, oblivious to the threat the choirs actions pose.

"I assume you know about the celestial children, the gods born from the cosmos itself. Should the choir succeed in summoning them, I don't dare think what the consequences could be. Just imagine waging war against the gods themselves. I simply can not allow that to happen, for the sake of my people and allies." You spoke as if you were ready to take down the gods right then and there.

"I see. Then I'll have our efforts doubled." Your advisor nodded, sounding serious.

"Very well. You are dismissed." With a simple motion of your hand, you sent your advisor to return to his duties.

Just as you were about to return to your own duties, someone passed through the castle's gates and approached your throne with a furious expression.

"You reign is over! We, the people living in the slums, demand justice. You let your own people starve while you live a leisure live. Have you seen all those people that suffer with only the bare minimum! We will no longer accept it! Hand over the throne and we might let you live." A familiar looking citizen began yelling at you.

"I beg your pardon? Do you have any idea how much I've done for those few people that live in the slums? Do you know how many people I've offered a job and how many accepted my offers and now live a good life? DO YOU! The only people that still live in the slums are those that refuse to work." You shot them a look of contempt, speaking in a furious tone.

Only seconds later you realized, that you've talked to that person before.

"Hold on, you look familiar." The moment you realized who this person was, your face twisted into seething rage.

"YOU, out of all people, have the nerve to accuse me of not doing enough! After everything I have tied to help you, you have the gall to blame me!" You began shouting at them with fury unimaginable.

"All these opportunities I presented to you, all these chances I gave you. You could have become anything from a simple baker to a renowned scientist. I even offered you a position as a royal weaver. You rejected each and every job I could offer you. But fine, tell me. What do you think I should do, to make your live more bearable?" You look at them with an expression full of scorn, sounding like you were ready to laugh at their ridiculous propositions.

"It's simple. Increase the money we receive." They spoke like they were in the right.

"For what? Being lazy? Why should I pay you, a citizen that refuses to work, more money than those who work each and every day." You looked at them, knowing full well they couldn't answer them.

"Then I'll have to take your throne by force!" They seriously tried to threaten you.

"Then so be it. But first." You stood up from your throne, unsheathing you sword and throwing it in front of your opponent's feet.

"Go ahead and pick it up. You're going to need it more than I do." You spoke to them in a mocking tune.

They picked up the sword but found themself unable to hold it properly.

"Pathetic. You don't even know how to hold a sword properly, yet alone how to fight with one." You approached them, deflected their pitiful attack with a punch against the blade's blunt part.

The moment they were knocked off balance, you pretended to grab them by their throat and they were lifted into the air by the ropes.

"What a pathetic display. I tried everything to help you but had to refuse every offer I made. Just look where it got you. You only came to die here." After a quick upward motion with your hand, you simply let them drop on the floor.

You looked upwards again, spotting another figure standing in the castle's doors. Asriel was entering the castle, holding some sort of case in his hands. Once he stood in front of you.

"I apologize that you had to witness this rather unpleasant scene unfold. How can I help you?" You sounded like you couldn't care less about what just happened.

Asriel simply stared at you with a clueless expression, slowly beginning to panic. He obviously didn't know his lines.

"Good job everyone, things are going better than expected." Elena seemed quite satisfied.

The guy that was lying on the floor got up and looked over to you.

"Dude, that was terrifying. When you looked at me just then, I was genuinely terrified. I honestly felt like you were actually going to kill me." He still looked terrified, his voice still shaking.

"I'd have to agree. You were really convincing when you pretended to be mad." Elena chimed in, seemingly impressed by your acting.

"Oh and Asriel, please make sure you know your lines next time." With mild disappointment, she turned towards Asriel.

"Anyway, that wraps it up for today. I'll see you guys next Wednesday." Elena concluded today's practice and everyone said their goodbyes to each other.

Back in your dorm, you immediately fell on your bed, taking a well deserved rest.

"You were quite impressive today ____. Maybe you're a born actor." Even Asriel was impressed with your acting, his eyes sparkling with amazement.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am meant to be an actor." You smiled, for the first time in forever feeling something like a sense of purpose.

"Guess we'll see how things turn out. But with your talent, I wouldn't worry." Asriel tried to keep your spirits up.

"Only if you learn your lines, otherwise we have a problem." You said half serious, half joking.

After visiting the bathroom, you bid each other goodnight and went to bed.

With the first day of practice behind you, you felt confident that things would turn out well.


	11. Surprise

The next morning came and you were once again jolted out of your sleep by the same dreadful alarm from yesterday. Once again you laid in your bed, heart racing from shock. It would probably take you some time until you'd get used to that.

Asriel greeted you with the same smile he always carried whenever you saw him, before he disappeared in the bathroom. Once he was done, you'd take a shower and get dressed for the day.

The morning continued as usual. You had breakfast together, ignored students gossiping, attended class and groaned at the amount of homework the teachers threw at you. After that you enjoyed lunch and passed your free time at the arcade.

You and Asriel were sitting in your room, working on your assignments while the TV was running as background noise. The sun was slowly beginning to set, but your day was far from being over.

"Well, I'll be off to evening class. See you later." You packed your things and got up from your desk.

"Alright, see ya." Asriel looked over to you, his eyes following you as you left the room.

As you walked down the hallways you could only think about how little you cared about the upcoming lecture on alternate history. It was all about how the world could have changed if only a tiny detail about history would have changed.

While some call it butterfly effect, you call it a waste of time. Why bother thinking about what could have been if what matters is the here and now.

Once you arrived at the lecture hall, you decided to take a seat where the teacher hopefully wouldn't be able to see you. The room began to fill with more and more people until the teacher finally decided to show up. Minutes later and the lecture eventually started.

Instead of starting the lecture with something reasonable, the teacher began to write something on the chalkboard and turned to the class.

"I would like to ask all of you to come up with a scenario in the past that could drastically change the future as we now know it." He started off with something so ridiculously stupid you began to wonder whether he's an actual teacher or just some quack that got lost.

Not a single student seemed to be too invested in this class, seeing that no one raised their hand.

The teacher, seemingly disappointed, decided to randomly call someone out. That someone, and how could it be any different, was you.

"Well, what if monsters, back in the human - monster war, had modern day guns and magic, instead of swords, spears and similar." You didn't even bother to put any thought in your alternate history scenario and just said the first thing that came to your mind.

The teacher, for reasons unknown, completely lost it.

"What a marvelous proposition. If monster had access to the guns used today, just imagine how far we would be today. Well, we would probably be all dead since monsters would have wiped out humanity with their superior arsenal. But just imagine if they wouldn't wipe us out. Could we live in harmony or would they enslave us?" The teacher began rambling and it didn't seem like he was going to stop anytime soon. You stopped listening half way trough.

Somehow, you ended up with an A+ for the day even though you stopped paying attention five minutes in.

Why do they even teach stuff like that? Actual history, like the human - monster war, was way more interesting than this joke. Maybe Asriel knows something that is actually interesting.

Once you were back in your room, you were immediately greeted by said goat. For some reason he looked really excited, his emerald green eyes sparkling.

"Hey ____, there's something I need to show you." He stepped aside, pointing at an empty cardboard box.

There was a glint in your eyes as you slowly approached the box, eyeing it carefully.

After roughly a minute of investigating the box you picked it up and chucked it towards Asriel. No one ever said the glint in your eyes was one of happiness.

The empty box would have flown over Asriel's head, if it wasn't for his horns, where the box is now stuck on. After a few minutes of struggling, Asriel managed to remove the box from his horns, looking at you with an expression that was more impressed than anything else.

"Seeing that you didn't seem to like the box, how about I show you the real thing I wanted to show you. Check the TV." Asriel motioned towards the TV, his expression remaining excited.

You decided to go with it and looked at the TV and what you saw left you speechless. Asriel seriously got his hand on a gaming console, complete with two controllers and that game you played at the arcade a few days ago.

"Where and when did you get that thing?" Sounding utterly bewildered, you turned towards Asriel.

"It arrived shortly after you left. I ordered it yesterday, while you were taking shower. What do you think?" He looked at you with a big smile.

You didn't really know what to say, so you simply remained quiet.

"I'm just going to assume that your silence is a good thing." Asriel sounded quite satisfied with himself.

"As long as you don't throw another tantrum because you keep losing everything should be fine." You shot Asriel a cheeky grin.

"Well, guess we're going to have enough time to practice now." Asriel's enthusiasm remained unwavering, seemingly eager to spend time playing games with you.

"So, how was your evening class? What was it about in the first place?" He looked at you with a curious expression on his face.

"It's about alternate history, how things could have been if things were different. It was the most boring, pointless and redundant waste of time I can imagine." You made your dislike for the alternate history course quite clear.

"It did leave me with something I would like to ask you though." You added.

"Sure, what is it?" "Asriel looked ready to answer whatever question you were going to throw at him.

"Do you know anything about the human - monster war?" Straight to the point, just the way you always were.

"Nope. The war happened way, WAY before I was born. As in, a few hundred years before. The oldest things I remember are camcorders and that old, nearly indestructible mobile phone. The only reasons we had them is because humans discarded them and monsters reverse engineered them. So by the time these things were normal for us, they were probably were archaic for humans." Asriel began to tell you about what he remembered, raising a finger to his chin once he was done.

How old was I back then? Somewhere around ten and twelve, I think." While Asriel couldn't tell you anything about the war, he did tell you a few things about his life.

"You mean that old phone you can literally throw done a mountain and I'd still work?" You knew exactly what legendary phone he was talking about.

"Yep, that one. I found it somewhere around the dump, the place in the underground were trash from the surface washes up. I was quite impressed honestly. It dropped several hundred meters, was underwater for who knows how long and it still works. Today's phones break simply because you look at them the wrong way." Asriel sounded upset that today's phones aren't as durable as they used to be.

"Or they explode when you try to charge them." You added, chuckling slightly.

"Or they're lacking the most basic features a phone should have." Asriel decided to jump in on making fun of modern day phones and their obvious design flaws.

"So, do you want to play some video games?" he changed to topic, eager to sharpen his skills.

"Depends. Are you ready to get completely obliterated again?" You joked, looking at him with a playful expression.

"Don't get too cocky. You only won because I had no idea what I was doing. Admittedly, I still have no idea what I'm doing but neither do you so I think everything should be fair and balanced. Besides, I learned from my mistakes and will no longer mash random buttons. From now on I will thoroughly plan which buttons I'm going to mash." Asriel proclaimed, sounding determined to master the game.

"Alright, but don't forget that I'll learn too and I definitely won't go easy on you." You took what he said as a challenge and accepted.

"I didn't expect anything different from you." Asriel remained confident, ready to take you on right now.

So you sat down in front of the TV, ready to play. Once the console booted up you were promptly greeted by the message that an update was ready. Asriel groaned and let the console update, which took about an hour. By the time the update was downloaded you roughly had half an hour of playtime left before it was time to go to bed, at least in theory. As long as you don't bother others with the noise you make you should be fine, but seeing that you were in college it's probably best to go to bed early.

Once the update was finally installed and the home screen showed up, Asriel inserted the disc. Of course the game needed to be installed first, which would take another fifteen minutes.

Asriel, now visibly upset, groaned once again and entered the bathroom to brush his teeth. The second he reemerged from the bath, another message popped up. This time the game needed to update. Asriel simply decided to shut down the console and go to bed, no longer in the mood to play games.

You were quite amused by Asriel's behavior, though you didn't want to show it. He would probably throw another tantrum if he knew.

So you decided to go to bed, starting to feel tired yourself.

Moonlight was falling in from the outside as you laid there in your bed, struggling to fall asleep. Just a minute ago you felt like you could fall asleep at an instant and now, all of a sudden, your tiredness was seemingly gone.

Seeing that there was not much to do, you simply stared at the ceiling. White, the ceiling was definitely painted in white.

More time passed and you still didn't feel tired. You almost felt like knocking yourself out by bashing your head against the wall. But not only would that probably wake up Asriel, which would be rude, and it would also be very detrimental to your health.

Instead of doing something so unreasonable and stupid, you began to think of any remedies that could help you fall asleep. According to movies, warm milk is supposed to help, but there was no milk on your room, at least none that you were aware off.

Just as you were about to get up and check the cabinet in the bathroom for something that could help you fall asleep, Asriel began talking in his sleep, which was a little terrifying.

One of the few things you manage to understand was your name. For some reason he kept mumbling your name in his sleep, and it wasn't in the way you expected. At first it sounded almost childish, innocent and full with glee, like a child playing with their friend. But soon after it began to sound more sad, distraught and heartbroken. It was as if he lost something he held very, very dear.

Other things you managed to understand were things like 'alone again', 'why' and 'hate you'. Just what was he dreaming about?

You struggled to make sense of what little you understood. He clearly knew you, it's more than obvious now. So why does he try to avoid talking about it? You made up your mind, you're going to confront him tomorrow.

Asriel kept rambling in his sleep for a few more minutes before he fell silent again. Only a short while later and you finally fell asleep too.

Once again you were woken by the alarm you still haven't grown used to. As always, Asriel greeted you with a smile on his face, fangs slightly visible.

"Hey, there's something I'd like to talk about." You directly asked him, even though you knew you probably wouldn't get any answers.

Classes wouldn't start until ten in the morning today, so you should have plenty of time.

"Sure, what is it?." Asriel agreed, looking at you as if he was hoping for something.

"Well, how do I put this... You never told me you were a sleep talker." You tried to sound as normal as possible.

"Oh, uhm, well... I kinda forgot to tell you. Sorry. You didn't hear anything too embarrassing, did you?" He visibly began to grow uncomfortable.

"You kept repeating my name. At first you sounded rather happy but after a minute or two you began to sound desperate." You said, watching how Asriel's face began to light up. He was blushing so madly, that it became quite visible underneath his fur. You probably could have worded that a lot better.

"I- I don't know what your talking about. Why would I dream about you? That's absurd and weird." Asriel blurted out, becoming more and more fidgety.

"I didn't mean it like that. It sounded more like you were playing with a friend and then something bad happened. You also said something about 'alone again' and 'I hate you'." You continued, determined to get some answers out of him.

Asriel looked away from you, obviously uneasy about all of this.

"I really don't want to talk about that right now. This is something that's really personal to me. I promise that I'll tell you one day, just not today." He sighed, hoping you wouldn't press this matter any further.

"Fine." You said, becoming more and more angry with Asriel.

Instead of digging any further, you decided to get ready for the day and eat breakfast.

Another uneventful breakfast later and you were sitting back in your room, reading over the next act of the play.

"____." Asriel called you.

You looked up from the script to face Asriel, who was holding two controllers.

"Seeing that we didn't get the chance yesterday, how about we play a round or two now?" He looked at you with a smile.

"Shouldn't you learn your lines for the play? You did mess up last practice." You weren't quite on board with Asriel's idea.

"C'mon now. I still have plenty of time to learn my lines. Besides, we don't know when the play will be." He whined, really wanting to play that game with you.

"Isn't that just another reason to learn your lines? If we don't know when the actual performance will be, then we should pretend like it could be any day now." You continued trying to convince Asriel to learn his lines.

"Please, just one or two rounds. I promise I'll learn my lines after class, really." He was giving you the puppy eyes again.

"Only under one circumstance. I'll check whether you know your lines or not. If you don't, then this will be the first and last time I played games with you before you've completed your work." You sounded stern, almost like a strict father.

"Hurray!" Asriel threw his hands in the air and turned on the console again. His joy was cut short however, once he realized that the console needed yet another update.

"Are you serious? I updated you yesterday evening! Why would you need ANOTHER system update?" He complained, letting the controller drop on his bed.

"The game needs to update too, remember?" You added, hoping it would prevent any further disappointment.

Asriel groaned in response, rolling his eyes.

"You know what, how about we get breakfast while all those updates do their thing?" He suggested, hoping it would kill enough time.

"Fine by me." You agreed, leaving the room with Asriel following behind.

Another uneventful breakfast, filled with students gossiping about you and Asriel, later and you were back in your room. The updates still haven't finished yet.

Asriel was sitting in his bed, impatiently tapping his fingers on the mattress.

"This is taking forever." He dropped on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"Well, looks like we're not going to play any games until the evening." You said, as you began packing for today's classes.

"Damn you updates, always ruining the fun. Well, maybe we'll have time after classes." Asriel got back up again, sounding somewhat hopeful.

So you went to your classes, spending hours on learning stuff so you can get your hands on a degree that will be of little use in this day and age. There are simply too many people with degrees, turning said degree basically useless.

Once classes were finally over, you returned to your room to rest until practice. Asriel arrived only shortly after, immediately picking up the controller.

"You still have to learn for today's practice." You once again had to remind Asriel.

"So, no video games for today?" He looked at you like he hoped you'd change your mind.

"You promised you'd learn your lines, remember?" This entire conversation slowly made you feel like you were a parent talking to their child.

"I said I'd learn my lines after we played a round or two." He rebutted, or rather tried to.

"There is just one problem. You obviously haven't learned your lines yet, meaning that you're going to fail practice again. That means that I won't play any games with you unless you can prove to me that you know your lines." You couldn't believe you were actually arguing about this.

"It's not my fault the console needed a billion updates. That classifies as unforeseen circumstances, rendering your conditions null and void." Asriel was seriously trying to convince you.

"Well, doesn't matter anyway. We have practice now. So, no video games." Once again you had to strike a more strict tune with Asriel.

"Damn it!" He, once again, threw his hands in the air, upset that he didn't get to play with you. He can be really childish sometimes.

At practice everyone repeated the same part from last time, trying to improve wherever they could. While you perfectly delivered your lines once again, Asriel failed to even learn his. Elena, and pretty much everyone else, were understandably disappointed. Once practice was over, and Asriel received his lecture from Elena, you'd go back to your room.

"Ugh, Elena is stupid." Asriel dropped back on his bed, arms crossed.

"You're just mad because she called you out for not learning your lines." You looked at him with a disapproving expression.

"Seriously? You're just going to stab me in the back like that? I thought we're friends. You're supposed to defend me." He complained, shooting you an offended look.

"If she had unjustly accused you of not learning your lines, then I'd have stepped in. But you didn't learn you lines, so she rightfully called you out for it. You're just being a sorehead and you know that." You raised your voice, not standing for Asriel's accusations.

He looked away from you, pouting.

After a few minutes of silence, he looked back at you.

"I'm sorry. I know you're right. I should have learned my lines and I promise I'll start tomorrow." Asriel apologized, sounding sincere about it.

Another two, surprisingly eventful days passed. Days in which you learned a little more about Asriel. You were certain that you knew each other at some point in time and you were starting to feel like something terrible happened that ended up separating you.

Whatever it was, it must have affected Asriel in a bad way. But you probably wouldn't find out what it was anytime soon, so all you could do was keep going and see where it takes you. You just hoped that Asriel would finally start learning his lines.


	12. A Bad Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick notice to let all of you know that, from this chapter on, shadowsoyaca will help me as an editor.

Another morning came, signaled by the rising sun and the dreadful alarm Asriel set up. Perhaps you should ask him to change his alarm to something that doesn't sound like a jet engine during takeoff.

"Morning," he said sounding quite moody. The smile he usually greeted you with was completely gone.

"Morning," you groaned back, eyes half closed.

"Something the matter?" Asriel asked unusually hostile.

"Can you please, for the love of everything, change your alarm to something that doesn't sound like a nuke going off right next to me,?" you asked mildly annoyed.

"I could, but only if you want to be responsible for me oversleeping and missing classes," he spat back agitated. 

"Geez. I'm sorry I asked. Won't happen again, promise." 

You rolled your eyes, baffled by Asriel sudden change. Perhaps he's just having a bad day. Everyone has one of those days every once in a while.

"Whatever. Do you think we'll finally get a chance to play that video game today?" he asked hoping for a positive response.

"If you know your lines for the play, sure," you answered trying to sound optimistic for once.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Why are you so fixated on that stupid play in the first place? It's not like it's going to affect you in the long run," Asriel said sounding spiteful. Just what is with him today?

"Anyway, I'm off to take a shower," he said, as he walked towards the bathroom.

"Hold it right there," you blurted out in a stern voice, causing him to stop as he prepared for the worst.

"Grab your clothes before you go. I don't need to see you without them again," you motioned towards the wardrobe, keeping a serious expression.

"Alright, got it. Geez, you nearly scared the living daylights out of me," Asriel stumbled over to his wardrobe with an irritated expression on his face.

Once Asriel grabbed his clothes, he wobbled into the bathroom. While he was taking a shower, you decided to turn on the console to check and download any pending updates. To your own surprise, it was only the game that needed to be update. Asriel stepped out just as the update finished, looking at you with a displeased expression.

"Well will you look at that. Seems like Mr. learn your lines couldn't resist playing a round or two," he said condescendingly.

"I beg your pardon. First off, I know my lines, unlike you. Second, I was simply letting the console update so you don't start whining again like you usually do," you responded with a menacing glare. You wouldn't have any of it; baseless accusations are something you've always hated.

"Prove it," he demanded appearing rather petty.

You opened up the recent messages, highlighting the most recent notification.

'Application update installed 2 minutes ago.'

"There, you happy now?" you said beginning to sound infuriated.

Asriel simply scoffed in response, which didn't help the situation at all.

"Just what is with you today? Did you get up on the wrong side of bed? Why are you being so overly sensitive?" you press him for answers. You were already fed up with Asriel's behavior and wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"What's it to you? It's not like you actually care," he retaliated continuing being hostile.

"You know what? Fine, have it your way. If you want to be like that, then be my guest," you snapped shooting a menacing glare at Asriel, before you grabbed your clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

After taking a steamy shower, you left the bathroom. 

Instead of spending time chatting with Asriel, you decided to walk to the cafeteria instead. You weren't in the mood to deal with Asriel in his current state and you didn't want things to turn ugly.

Once you arrived at the cafeteria, you picked whatever food that appealed to you and sat down at your usual spot.

As you were enjoying your breakfast, you spotted Asriel entering the cafeteria. It would seem like he finally decided to get out and eat something.

He could only choose from a sparse variety of leftovers, which were all either cold or soggy. Once he picked whatever was left he walked over to your table with a plate of not so delicious looking breakfast in his one hand and a box of room temperature chocolate milk in the other.

Seeing that you were already done eating, you decided to put your empty plate where it belongs and go back to your room. Of course you passed Asriel, but you didn't bother looking at him. He was having a bad day, so it was probably best to leave him alone for the time being. While you didn't see it, you still felt like Asriel didn't took too kindly to you walking past him without acknowledging him.

Back in your room you decided to continue reading the script in case the unexpected happens and you finally manage to get past the beginning of the first act. 

Roughly fifteen minutes later Asriel returned to the room and he immediately shot you an upset glare.

"Reading that stupid script again?" his tone slowly drifting to his more arrogant side.

You let your script drop onto your bed and looked at Asriel with fury burning in your eyes.

"Alright, I had enough. What's wrong with you today? You're acting like you want to start something," your tone starting to become more irritated.

Asriel didn't say anything. It was as if there was nothing he could say in his defense.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Speak up already, I'm already fed up with you trying to pull off this little stunt of yours," you scoff feeling your rage slowly building up inside of you.

"Trying to pull off something? Seriously? Am I not allowed to have a bad day? Especially after everything I've been through? Do you even know what I've been through?" he said finally finding his confidence.

"Want me to get some snacks for your pity party?” you mock angrily, “No, I don't know what you've been through because you never bothered to actually tell me. But you know DAMN well what I've been through. Do I just wake up and decide to act like a complete douche? No, I don't," you responded getting more upset.

"Excuse me? I'm supposed to be the one throwing a pity party?," he exclaimed pointing at himself, sounding quite offended.

"Yes, you are. I saw my friends and 'relatives' beaten, abused, shot, and left to bleed out. Do I walk around acting like a douche to others because I'm having a bad day? No. Am I going to rip you a new one if you push me too far? You bet I will. This is not about having a bad day anymore, this is about being a prick for no apparent reason." At this point you were almost yelling at Asriel.

"You're calling me a prick? You're the one who had constantly been digging around my life. You're the one who immediately threatens everyone that looks at you the wrong way. If anyone is a prick here, it's you," Asriel snapped accusingly.

You took a deep breath so you wouldn't lunge at him and tear him to shreds. He was pushing his luck a little too far and if he continued to do so, you couldn't guarantee he would be in one piece.

"Alright, Fine. Keep doing what you're doing, I honestly don't care. You obviously can't see beyond your own nose. I'm off to class," you stated giving up. You averted your gaze from Asriel, grabbed your bag, and left the room without so much as looking at him again. He was obviously in a bad mood today, so it's best to just leave him alone.

Classes passed at an even slower pace than usual, so much that it almost felt like time stopped itself entirely. The fact that Asriel was sitting next to you in most classes didn't make things any better. You could feel the tension between you two, and could only hope it wouldn't explode.

Lunch break approached, and things remained tense between you and Asriel. Neither one of you seemed to be ready to approach one another, so you both decided to sit at separate tables.

Of course, this only caused more rumors to emerge some saying you broke up, while others simply thought of it as nothing more than drama practice. Yet others slowly began to notice your demeanor and suggested that you were probably never dating in the first place. 

If it really was drama practice, than you'd be pretty impressed with Asriel. He would have told you later and everything would be alright again. However, you seriously doubted that Asriel was this invested into the drama club. You could only hope things got back to normal before the next drama practice or that Asriel was professional enough to see past personal affairs during practice.

The remaining classes of the day approached and you could feel your motivation declining progressively. Not that it mattered anyway because the afternoon classes lacked any importance whatsoever. You still tried your hardest to keep up to pace though.

As the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, and the evening approached, you returned to your room. You had a ton of assignments to work on, all of which you had to hand in next week.

So you began working on your first assignment. An interpretation of some poem written by someone who died over 180 years ago. Something about a father and his dying child who was already in delirium. In this case interpretation meant, write what you think the teacher thinks, not what the original author may have thought. What makes things even worse was you had to write at least 500 words. You hardly managed to reach the 100 mark.

While you were busy writing, (or rather trying to write), the door to your room opened and Asriel stepped in still looking quite irritated.

You knew Asriel had to work on the assignments himself, since you were sharing most of his classes, but instead he went straight for the console and turned it on. While you were busy working, Asriel started to play video games.

Roughly a half an hour later, you were almost done with your interpretation. It was then when Asriel threw a controller on your bed, shooting you an impatient look.

"What? Can't you see I'm working?" you asked annoyed, knowing full well what he was trying to convey.

Asriel first motioned to the controller, then over to the TV.

"You promised," he said impatiently.

"I didn't promise you anything," you stated growing tired of Asriel's constant nagging.

"Can't you just relax for once and enjoy life?" Asriel's expression remained persistent.

"Just drop it already! I can't afford to fail my classes. If I screw this up it's basically over for me. Unlike you, I don't have anything. No parents, no home, no nothing. So do me a favor, stop bothering me and let me do my work!" By now you've reached your boiling point and were ready to give Asriel a piece of your mind.

"Why do you always have to take everything so seriously?" He looked at you, sounding more demanding than anything.

"Why can't you take this seriously for once? You can't be bothered to learn your lines and now you ditch your studies. Why are you here in the first place? If you're just going to sit there and play video games, why are you wasting your and everyone else's time?" You looked at him with an expression of anger, ears flickering menacingly.

"You want to know why? Fine. It's because it doesn't matter. Next time something bad happens, Frisk is just going to reset again. Someone they care about gets hit by a car? Reset. Someone falls seriously ill? Reset. They break up with someone? Reset. I bite the dust? RESET! Why bother making a change if someone is just going to take it all away again? Why bother doing anything at all, if it's all meaningless in the end? I live for the moment, because the moment is all I have," Asriel stated sounding like he had given up.

"And how does that justify anything? So what if everything is going back to zero one day? You're acting like you're the only one affected. What about your friends and family? What about everyone else?" you responded. Asriel's reasoning only made you more upset.

"What about them? Some think what they remember was nothing more than a weird dream. The majority won't remember a single thing, just like you. They'll just live their lives like nothing ever happened." He really sounded like he didn't care anymore.

"Well, I'd love to remember. Anything, really. But every time I mention it you just refuse to give me any answers. Do you have any idea how THAT feels like? To know that someone can tell you about who you used to be but they outright refuse to give an answer? Can you imagine how much I want to know who I used to be?" You looked at him with a pained expression. If you could, then this would be the point where tears start streaming down your face.

"Why are you so desperate to know in the first place?" he asked unamused.

"Why? Because I think it can help me find a sense of purpose, or at the very least some closure. Can you imagine how it feels to live a life without a purpose? To only exist to serve? A proof of concept just to boast about what science can do? I HATE living a life like this!" You could feel your lips quivering as your breathing became more irregular.

"And how exactly would it help you if I told you? Do you hope for some miracle to happen? Do you seriously think you're just going to find your purpose because I tell you about your past self?" Asriel snarled. His demeanor made it seem like he was talking down to you, something you don’t take too kindly.

"I don't know, I honestly don't. All I know is that I want to know. Oh, and before I forget. You better keep that condescending tone to yourself before you choke on it," you threatened in a volatile state. At this point, a single wrong word could have disastrous consequences.

"So you want to know for the sake of knowing? And once you finally know, what are you going to do? In the end, you're just going to forget again," he refused despite you explaining your reasoning. 

"Fine. Have it your way." You turned back to your desk, too frustrated to keep this conversation going any longer.

"Oh, and do me a favor and don't talk to me unless you return to your senses," you added, sounding quite mad.

Asriel whispered enough curses to make even the most seasoned sailor blush, all of which you tried your hardest to ignore.

After your little argument with Asriel, you simply could no longer focus on your assignment. You decided to continue working on them tomorrow and instead began reading trough the script again. Maybe one day Asriel will finally pull himself together and work on what he signed up for. Though at this point, you seriously began doubt it.

Once the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon, you decided to brush your teeth and go to bed. The moment you pulled the covers up to your chin, Asriel decided to turn off the console and go to bed himself, probably the most polite thing he has done today.

It was another one of those sleepless night where all you could do was either study the wallpaper pattern, which was difficult due to it being an ingrain wallpaper, or watch the moon as it shinned its light on your face. So you kept turning from side to side, hoping you would find that one spot that gave enough comfort to finally fall asleep. Just when you found it, Asriel called your name. 

"What?" You turned around to face him, hissing at him in agitation.

Instead of getting an actual response, you only heard a startled noise and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.

"Holy crap, you nearly scared me to death. You're eyes are terrifying," he stated scared to death from your glowing eyes.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me? That the glow of my eyes is terrifying? Well, tough luck. There's nothing I can do about since I'm part cat. Cat's eyes glow when you shine light on them, remember?" You spoke in a unamused tone.

"What? No. I j-just wanted to apologize. I was quite rude today and well... I'm sorry. I should've kept myself in check. I hope it won't happen again." His voice was meek and sounded like he really regretted what happened today. Even though the room was mostly dark, you could still see his rueful expression.

"I think I should apologize too. I took everything you said too much to heart and in the end, I snapped at you. So... sorry." You let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of relief.

"So, everything's good then?" Asriel's voice held a hint of hope as he crawled back into his bed.

"Yeah, everything's good," you said in a calm manner.

A short moment of silence passed between you and Asriel, before you wished each other a good night and finally fell asleep.

Today was a rather turbulent day and you were just glad that things didn't get completely out of hand.

'I live for the moment, because the moment is all I have,' Asriel’s voice echoes into your head. If what Asriel said was true, then he might have had a point. If everything could be gone tomorrow, all your accomplishments erased just like that, then what was the point?

It almost seemed like you and Asriel were more alike than you first thought. Both of you had a troubled past and were looking for a purpose.


	13. Déjà-vu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Lonnie is property of shadowsoyaca and is being used with his permission. Please keep in mind that OC character are an exception and will only be added if I can find a place for them, if they are added at all.

You were asleep peacefully exploring whatever dream it was you were having when morning came around again. Asriel didn't want to wake you up as the look of complete innocence on your face reminded him of a lot of past memories. However, Asriel had to do what he had to and he carefully approached your bed.

"Rise and shine ____," he gently shook your shoulder as he spoke in a soft voice.

You began to awaken from your slumber, shuddering from the unfamiliar sensation of Asriel's hand on your shoulder.

Another gentle shake finally caused your eyes to flutter open.

“Hey,” he greeted you with a hint of discomfort in his voice.

“Hey,” you returned his greeting in a somewhat tired voice.

Asriel still wasn’t over what happened yesterday. It was obvious that he wasn’t. His smile looked forced and his eyes held a sense of regret in a way you’ve rarely seen before.

“Are you still thinking about what happened yesterday?” There was a hint of concern in your voice.

“Kinda.” His eyes trailed off and his voice sounded discouraged.

“It’s alright, seriously. We all have a bad day every once in a while. Just be glad you haven’t seen me on one of those bad days yet,” you said trying to sound encouraging, even drifting off into a more humorous tone.

Asriel sighed, his rueful expression lightening slightly. “If you say so.”

“Why don’t you go and take a shower. Maybe that will help you clear your mind,” you said in a calming manner. Like it or not, over the past days you began to see Asriel as a real friend. You may have had your disagreements, but in the end, he showed that he does care about you.

“I already did. It’s almost seven in the morning.” Asriel began to sound more cheerful. He seemed to pick up on your concern for him and took it as a good sign.

“WHAT! It’s almost seven? Doesn’t your alarm go off at six?” You exclaimed in surprise.

“Yeah. I mean, you did ask me to change my alarm, remember?” Asriel seemed to have returned to his friendly and courteous nature.

“So you just let me sleep in? You do remember that I need to take a shower, right?” you asked frantically. While you did appreciate his kind gesture, it went down like a lead balloon.

“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture but I only asked you to change your alarm to something not as loud. I was totally fine with getting up at six,” you continued.

“Alright, got it!” he happily exclaimed. “I’ll change my alarm to something that isn’t as loud as the previous one and then we’ll just continue our normal morning routine.”

It took you a moment to realize just how late it was. Once the realization hit you, you jumped out of bed and grabbed a pair of fresh clothes on your way to the bathroom.

Asriel seemed quite amused as you could hear him chuckle while you turned on the shower. Just as you were about to step underneath the refreshing stream of water, Asriel called out from behind the door.

“Want me to get us breakfast?” his voice muffled by the sound of falling water.

“Yeah, just go ahead and pick something,” you blurted out in a hurry.

“Alright, got it,” his voice grew more distant as he walked away from the door.

You stepped under the shower and felt how your muscles tensed up as you were doused in cold water. It wasn’t painful, but rather a refreshing cold sensation, much like a fresh breeze on a hot summer’s day.

By the time you were done and dressed, Asriel was back with breakfast. By the looks of it he did exactly what you asked of him and simply grabbed something.

He came back with two plates, both of them stacked with a generous amount of pancakes.

Once again the pancakes were on point. Whoever cooked them deserved every single compliment they get.

“I didn’t know you’re allowed to take breakfast to your room,” you said in a mildly surprised voice.

“That’s because you’re not. At least under normal circumstances. Though seeing as I’m not only the prince of all monsters, but also the founder’s son I get a pass,” Asriel responded with a smile on his face.

“What are these special circumstances, if you don’t mind me asking?” you looked at Asriel with an expression of genuine curiosity.

“Simple. When you’re ill or otherwise unable to attend classes you are given the pass like breaking your leg. But let’s just hope that doesn’t happen,” he responded in his usual manner.

You finished breakfast and began walking to your classes.

“You go ahead, I’ll just return these plates real quick,” Asriel said quickly excusing himself and taking a detour to the cafeteria.

You simply continued onward, passing numerous other students in the process.

It was in a single moment of carelessness, in which you bumped into another student. In that brief moment of contact, a series of images flashed through your mind.

First you saw a park with numerous shrubbery and a lake located in the middle.

The next image was a dark room with countless towering shelves looking like giants and stacks of boxes appearing like walls.

The last thing you saw was a grand and pristine mansion.

After a few seconds, you snap back into reality. You look around to see who you bumped into, but the student was long gone. They didn’t even bother to say sorry or check if you’re alright.

“What a jerk,” you whispered in agitation as you continued to scan the hallway. You didn’t even managed to catch as much as a glimpse of them.

“____, are you alright? You kinda spaced out there for a moment,” Asriel asked in a concerned tone.

You flinched, startled by Asriel’s sudden appearance.

“Yeah, I’m fine. As you said, I just kinda spaced out a little. Sorry if I’ve worried you,” you quickly blurted out, too occupied with the thoughts that were running through your head.

What did those images mean? And why do they give you this uncanny feeling of familiarity? It was like a weird feeling of reverse déjà-vu. You knew for a fact that you’ve never been to any of these places and yet it felt like you did.

You had the sneaking suspicion that Asriel knew something that could give you the answers, but for now you decided to keep it to yourself.

With those weird and new memories burned into your brain, you continued on your way to your first class.

During the first set of classes, your mind continuously drifted back to those foreign memories. Just where did they come from and why show up now? It was all so sudden and none of it made any real sense.

It wasn’t until lunch break, when Asriel finally picked up on your distanced expression.

“Something’s bothering you, I can see it on your face,” Asriel looked at you with a concerned expression.

“Well, yeah. I do have something on my mind,” you said as your voice began to drift off.

“Mind telling me?” he pressed further.

“It’s another question about my past, but you probably wouldn’t answer it anyway,” you answered in a dismissive tone.

Asriel remained silent at your response and looked off to the side with a guilty expression.

Lunch continued on and at some point, Asriel let his gaze wander across the cafeteria. It was almost like he was looking for someone.

At some point he stopped and let his eyes focus on someone sitting on the other side of the room.

You quickly picked up on his newfound fixation and raised an eyebrow.

“Do you recognize someone?” you asked curiously.

“I’m not sure. He looks pretty familiar,” Asriel answered in a curious tone.

You looked over in the direction Asriel was starring and met a cold gaze starring back sending a shiver down your spine.

“I don’t know about you but he’s giving me a really bad feeling. Something about that guy just doesn’t seem right to me,” you spoke in an unsure voice. Something about that guy was off, but you had no idea what it could be.

“I think you’re just being a little paranoid,” Asriel said in a joking tone.

“Could be,” you simply agreed.

Once lunch passed you moved on to the next set of classes. You still couldn’t focus as your mind returned to those flashing images over and over again occupying every single thought on your mind.

You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t realize that the teacher was calling your name. The teacher slammed his hand down onto your desk.

“Y-yes?” Your head jerked up and your heart skipped several beats.

“Mr. ____, I’m going to assume you already know everything about our current topic if you feel like you can simply slack off like that,” the teacher spoke in a very displeased tone.

“I’m sorry, sir. I currently have personal issues on my mind,” you said in an apologetic tone.

“Try to focus on class next time, understood?” the teacher warned calmly. Even though he sounded a little irritated, he still let you off the hook quite easily. He was probably told of your circumstances.

Classes eventually passed and the next drama practice was rapidly approaching.

You and Asriel were sitting in your shared room, and for once Asriel was actually reading his script. Maybe he does take the drama club more serious than you initially though.

“So, you finally decided to learn your lines for drama practice?” you playfully mocked.

“Yeah. I know that I should have looked at my lines. I actually feel kinda stupid now. I only have to say two or three things in the beginning,” he said with a slight chuckle. “Anyway, I guess it’s about time we go. Wouldn’t want to make the others wait,” He added as he got up from his bed.

You nodded and began walking to the drama club.

The moment you stepped inside the club room, you noticed that something was off. A weird aura permeated the air and most club members had a look of concern on their face.

Among all the other club members you spotted one student, you haven’t seen before and he immediately gave you a bad vibe. He had short, black hair, gelled back into spikes. His eyes were crimson and you spotted a scar across his right cheek.

“Hey guys, good to see you,” Elena said approaching you with her usual upbeat nature.

“Hi Elena,” Asriel greeted back.

“Who’s that guy?” you asked in an uncertain voice as you pointed at the new guy.

“That’s Lonnie. He’s going to fill in for Mike today. You know, the guy that played the dude from the slums. He got into a bit of an accident so he can’t participate in practice,” Elena answered casually.

You were pretty suspicious. A club member getting involved in an accident that prevented him from attending practice and suddenly a new guy conveniently shows up to replace him.

“Does he even know the lines he’s supposed to recite?” Asriel asked in a curious tone.

“Surprisingly yes. He knows his lines perfectly,” Elena responded in amazement.

Now things were even more suspicious. There was no way the guy could know his lines that quickly. Something didn’t quite add up with this situation. Setting your worries aside, you quickly recited your lines through your head as everyone got into position.

Soon after, the practice began once again beginning with you talking to your advisor.

“Do we have any news from the west?” you spoke in a cold and stern voice while looking at your advisor with a serious expression.

"No, nothing. We were unable to gather any further information on the choir. My apologies," he apologized, bowing in respect.

You let out a long, worried sigh.

"They say no news are good news, but in this case I'd beg to differ. If the choir succeeds in their endeavors we'll have an unparalleled crisis at our hands. I cannot allow that to happen," you said in a determined tone. The choir could not be allowed to succeed and you would do everything in your might to make sure it doesn’t happen.

"My lord, why do you concern yourself with the actions of the choir? The city of stars lies on the continent far in the west. Their business is their own,” your advisor spoke in a questioning tone, oblivious to the threat the choir posed.

"I assume you know about the celestial children, the gods born from the cosmos itself. Should the choir succeed in summoning them, I do not dare think what the consequences could be. Just imagine waging war against the gods themselves. I simply cannot allow that to happen, for the sake of my people and allies,” you said your resolve unparalleled. It was as if you were ready to take on the god right then and there.

“If that is the case, I will see our efforts doubled,” your advisor responded in a serious manner.

"Very well. You are dismissed.”

With a single motion of your hand you dismissed your advisor.

You were just about to return to your duties, when you spotted a figure walking up the marble hallway that led to your throne. Their pace was quick and their expression was one of fury.

"You reign is over! We, the people living in the slums, demand justice. You let your own people starve while you live a leisure life. Have you seen all those people that suffered with only the bare minimum? We will no longer accept it! Hand over the throne and we might let you live," a citizen with a familiar looking face yelled at you.

"I beg your pardon? Do you have any idea how much I've done for those few people that live in the slums? Do you know how many people I've offered a job and how many accepted my offers and now live a good life? DO YOU? The only people that still live in the slums are those that refuse to work,” you answered him in a furious tone as you expression turned into a glare of contempt.

It was only seconds later when you realized that you were familiar with the person in front of you.

"Hold on, you look familiar," you said voice became menacing as your face became twisted by the sheer anger you felt.

"YOU, out of all people, have the nerve to accuse me of not doing enough! After everything I have tried to help you, you have the gall to blame me!" you blurt out booming with an inhumane, ungodly fury.

"All these opportunities I presented to you, and all these chances I gave you. You could have become anything from a simple baker to a renowned scientist. I even offered you a position as a royal weaver. You rejected each and every job I could offer you,” you spoke down to him, disgusted by his audacity.

“But fine, tell me. What do you think I should do, to make your lives more bearable?" you asked impatiently with an expression of scorn on your face. You braced yourself for whatever ridiculous proposal they were about to name.

"It's simple. Increase the money we receive,” he confidently stated convinced that he was in the right.

"For what? Being lazy? Why should I pay you, a citizen that refuses to work, more money than those who work each and every day," you rebutted as you spoke in a mocking voice.

"Then I'll have to take your throne by force!" He assumed a fighting stance, determined to pry your throne from your hands.

"Then so be it. But first," you said rising from your throne. You threw your sword at your opponent’s feet as a mocking gesture.

"Go ahead and pick it up. You're going to need it more than I do," you said taunting him even further.

He attempted to pick up the blade but found himself unable to wield it properly.

"Pathetic. You don't even know how to hold a sword properly, yet alone how to fight with one," you mocked him as you approached him slowly.

He tried to swing the sword at you but you quickly deflected the attack with a punch against the blades blunt part, knocking him off balance in the process. You used the moment and pretend to grab him by his throat and he was lifted in the air by the attached ropes.

"What a pathetic display. I tried everything to help you but had to refuse every offer I made. Just look where it got you. You only came to die here," you said looking deep into his eyes as you spoke in indifference.

It was at that moment, when you found yourself at an entire different place. You were no longer in the drama club, attending practice. Instead you found yourself sitting in a garden in front of a mansion.

You could feel the cold of the night nibble at your skin as you looked around. The mansion in front of you looked familiar. It was the same mansion you saw earlier, no doubt about it. You were pondering what exactly happened, when the sound of approaching footsteps caught your attention.

You looked up and were promptly met with a terribly loud screech that left you ears ringing. If that wasn’t bad enough, you also saw a ball of fire flying at you. Just as the ball was about to connect, you snapped back to reality.

“Are you alright?” Lonnie asked looking at you with a concerned expression with his hand placed on your shoulder.

You simply brushed his hand off you. Something about his expression bothered you. In fact, Lonnie himself, gave you a very uncanny feeling. It’s probably just the scar. Regardless of this mysterious man, you shook the concerning thoughts away as they did not seem to help your anxiety.

“____ seriously? What’s was that? You totally spaced out all of a sudden,” Elena exclaimed clenching her script. There was no doubt in your mind that she was displeased. Asriel quickly went to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She almost took his head off with a swing of her arm, but catching the gaze of his eyes and hearing what he had to say cooled her temper. Asriel then made his way towards you.

“Are you sure you’re alright? That’s the second time you spaced out today,” Asriel said running over to you with a seriously concerned expression.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Really,” you said reassuringly trying to play off the entire situation.

Something was going on and you didn’t like it one bit. This was the second time you had some type of weird vision, but it was much more vivid than just a few images flashing in your mind.

“Well, I guess we might as well call it a day,” Elena said disappointedly deciding to end practice for today.

You and Asriel immediately returned to your room. Not a word was spoken, but you could feel his worried expression looking toward you. Once the door was closed, Asriel immediately turned to you.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You’ve been acting kinda weird today,” He said with great worry.

“Yeah, I’m fine. There is no need to worry about me,” you responded in a reassuring way.

Asriel was seemingly satisfied with your answer and looked over to the console.

“Do you want to play a round or two?” he asked in a hopeful tone.

“Sorry, but I’m feeling pretty tired. I’m off to bed. Tomorrow, promise,” you answered in an apologetic voice.

After a quick trip to the bathroom you crawled underneath the covers, thinking about today’s events. That one vision kept replaying in your mind, almost as if it was stuck on repeat.

Was this a memory or was this a weird dream? Or could this be an “alternative timeline” that Asriel talked about? It wouldn’t be all that bad if it wasn’t for the fact that you spotted Asriel’s silhouette in the brief moment before the fireball flew at you. Did he actually kill you in a different timeline? Was that the reason he doesn’t want to talk to you about your past self?


	14. Challenge

The sun began to rise as its first, gentle rays shinned through the blind’s cracks. Your eyes began to open slowly when the first streaks of warm light hit your face. Only second later, Asriel’s alarm got off.

No longer did you have to listen to the dreadfully loud sound that Asriel uses to wake up. Instead, you heard a calm tune that was more soothing to your ears.

“Morning Asriel,” you greeted him with a soft smile.

“Hey,” he returned with a sleepy look on his face, “are you feeling better?”

“What do you mean? I’ve been feeling fine lately,” you looked at him with a confused expression.

“It’s just that you’ve been spacing out lately and it has gotten me worried,” Asriel spoke in a soft, concerned voice.

“I’m fine, really,” you answered reassuringly.

“Well, if you say so,” Asriel responded despite being dissatisfied with your answer. However, he realized that he wouldn’t get anything else out of you.

The morning proceeded as usual and you were enjoying breakfast at your usual spot. 

As you were enjoying your meal, you spotted a familiar face approaching your table, a face you didn’t enjoy looking at.

“Morning guys,” Lonnie decided to join you, sitting down next to Asriel like he had known him for years.

“Morning,” Asriel returned with a smile.

You simply shot daggers at Lonnie. While you didn’t know why, you did know that you didn’t like him.

“How are you doing today?” he asked looking at you with concern.

“What’s it to you?” you hissed at him.

“I was just worried. The people at the drama club seem to like you and they were quite shocked by what happened yesterday,” he spoke calmly.

You simply continued at glare at him.

“Why are you so hostile ____? He hasn’t done anything to you,” Asriel asked looking at you with confusion.

“I simply don’t like him, that’s all. Sometimes you just don’t like a person and there’s nothing you can do about it,” you answered casually.

“I know this might be a bit sudden and I know your dislike will not make this request any easier, but could you tell me about that entire experiment you used to be part of?” Lonnie asked, clearly interested in your past.

“Why should I tell you?” you asked remaining hostile towards Lonnie.

“I’m trying to get more information on the entire experimentation program so I can inform the public on what was going on,” he explained enthusiastically.

Despite his enthusiastic attitude, you remained quiet and simply refused to give him any information.

“I can pay you if that’s what you want. Also, if you tell me it will help to hold everyone involved accountable,” Lonnie tempted you trying to sweeten the deal a little.

“Pretty much everyone that was involved in any part of the project is dead. I’m one of only a few subjects that survived. But if you really want to know that badly, talk to me again after classes. It’s too long of a story to be told in just five minutes,” you said deciding to give in so he’d finally leave you alone. “Now, If you’d excuse me. Classes are about to start.”

You got up from your seat and returned your plate before you departed for classes.

Asriel was a little surprised by your unusually and sudden, rude behavior and rushed after you.

“Why are you being so hostile towards Lonnie? He hasn’t done anything to you,” he asked with a look of confusion on his face.

“I just don’t like him. Sometimes you just don’t like someone for no reason at all. That’s just the way things are sometimes,” you calmly explained.

“Why did you agree to tell him about your past then?” Asriel asked with the confused expression lingering on his face.

“So he’d shut up and stop bothering me,” you bluntly answered.

“Shouldn’t you just ignore him then?” Asriel inquired further, still not satisfied with your answer.

“If I would just ignore him, he would continue to bother me. It’s more likely he’ll leave me alone if I just tell him want he wants to know. Or rather what I want him to know,” you explained already sounding bored with your conversation about Lonnie.

Once you arrived at today’s first lecture, you remembered that you still had assignments to work on. Just another things on the ever expanding list of things you really weren’t looking forward to.

More math, because everyone loves math. Once again the teacher presented you with problems that were so ridiculous that they made brain surgery look less complicated to complete.

Against all odds, you managed to survive math without having your brain-cells decimated.

Up next was English paired with everyone’s favorite topic; interpretations because who doesn’t love playing ‘guess what I’m thinking about’ with their teacher?

Another two agonizing hours of useless rambling later and you were finally free, for your lunch break.

This time, you could enjoy your food without interruption from others.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Asriel looked at you with a curious expression.

“What is it?” you responded looking up from your meal.

“It’s something I’ve had on my mind for quite some time now. You said that back during the experiment you were assigned to different facilities. What exactly happened during your ‘training’? Do you even remember any of it?” Asriel asked in a complete disregard of your feelings.

Of course he decided to bring up the one part of your life you’d rather forget. There goes any chance of having a peaceful lunch.

“There isn’t much I remember except that there was a lot, and I mean A LOT of combat training. Armed, unarmed, lethal, and non-lethal. We were also trained in anatomy for obvious reasons,” you explained as you felt a certain sense of fury rising.

“What level of combat training are we talking about?” Asriel continually asked, his curiosity clearly not sated.

“I was trained to protect whoever ended up owning me. Take from that what you will. Now, could we please talk about something else? You should know how much I hate talking about that entire experience,” you growled starting to grow irritated. 

Not only was Asriel asking you those questions, but he also refused to answer yours. If he expects you to tell him your past without telling you his, how would that be fair? You shouldn’t be expected to let your guard down around him if he’s unwilling to share his past.

Asriel quickly picked up on your changed expression and fell silent.

Seeing that Asriel obviously had no more question, you decided to return to your lunch.

Lunch passed with a certain sense of awkward silence between you and Asriel. Even though you were craving an interruption-free lunch, the awkwardness prevented you from enjoying it.

The last class for today was PE, which didn’t sound all that bad. The teacher was none other than the ex-royal guard captain Undyne, preventing any possibility of having a normal PE class from happening.

Once everyone was dressed in their sportswear, the warm-up exercises began, though most students were too busy gawking at Asriel. You still failed to understand why everyone was so obsessed with him. Perhaps people would stop daydreaming about him if they saw what you did. Or perhaps it would make things even worse. Humans and monsters were hard to predict how they would respond to things.

Ten minutes into the class and most students were already out of breath. You were only one of a few students that weren’t at the verge of collapse.

“I always knew that humans aren’t the strongest, but this? This is pathetic!” Undyne exclaimed disappointedly. Undyne rolls her eyes at the out of shape humans and monsters before turning her attention at the remaining survivors.  
“Unlike the rest of those losers, who thinks they can take me on in a fight?” Undyne challenged eyeing each and every one of us.

“____ thinks he can. In fact, he’s the only one with proper combat training,” a familiar voice chirped from the back.

You turned around to face its origin and were met with a face you haven’t seen in a while. Decora stood in the background with a smug smile across his face.

“How do you know about that?” you hissed at him as you felt anger well up inside you.

“A little birdie told me,” he spoke in a sing-song voice.

You simply unsheathed one of your claws and pointed at him.

“You’ve been eavesdropping, haven’t you?” there was a clear hint of agitation in your voice and you ears began to flicker once again.

“Hey, you can deal with that punk later,” Undyne shouted from behind you, “don’t keep me waiting!”

“Ugh, fine,” you groaned and turned around to face her.

“Close combat only, no magic and no weapons. Understood?” she stated giving you a quick rundown of the rules, to which you simply nodded in response.

Once everyone retreated to the sidelines, your little sparring match began.

You stood there as Undyne was closely watching you, waiting for you to make the first move. After a few minutes of waiting, her patience overtook her, and she threw the first punch.

You responded by quickly blocking her punch. Within a second of your block, you grabbed her arm with the blocking arm and threw her over your shoulder in a quick pivoting motion. Upon her body coming in contact with the ground, you pinned her to the ground with both arms behind her. With you sitting on her back, she had no other choice but to concede.

The match was over before it really started and most students were staring at you. Some were in awe while others were completely terrified. Asriel was among the more terrified students.

Undyne let out a hearty chuckle as she got up from the floor.

“Now this kid,” she began as she patted you on the back. “This kid got some backbone.”

Seeing that Undyne was quite impressed with your performance today, you probably got an A for the day, basically saying “congratulations for not being lazy”.

PE came to an end and you were on your way back to your dorm. As per usual, Asriel was following close behind.

“I still can’t believe you just threw Undyne around like that. This is Undyne we’re talking about. The underground calls her Undyne the undying for a reason,” Asriel ranted sounding equally impressed as he was scared.

“I’ll be honest, I have no idea who she is. In my eyes, she’s just the PE teacher,” you casually responded.

“WHAT? She’s so much more than that. The underground hails her as a hero! She suplexes boulders just because and she’s basically the underground’s strongest fighter! And you just tossed her around like she was some rag doll!” Asriel continued shocked by the fact you never heard of her.

“You sound quite fond of her,” you teased.

“She has a girlfriend. Besides, she’s not my type. I just think she’s one of the most bad-ass woman of the underground,” Asriel stated taking your little teasing a lot better than expected.

“And what does that make me?” you asked with a hint of curiosity.

“Well, seeing that you managed to pin her easily shows that you’re stronger than you look. But let’s be serious: do you really think you can take her on if she really wanted to fight you?” he began playing down the achievement you didn’t even knew you accomplished.

“What are the odds of that ever happening?” you asked almost laughing at Asriel’s question. Why would you actually have to fight Undyne?

“Do you think you can take me on?” Asriel asked jokingly.

You simply stopped dead in your tracks and turned around. After carefully examining him, you began to lift each of his arms for a second, before letting them drop again.

“That’s a rhetorical question, isn’t it?” you joked, smirking at his appearance.

“Hey, I’m stronger than I look, you know!” Asriel retorted in mock-offense.

“How about a sparring match one day?” you suggested without expecting a serious answer.

“No thanks, you’re probably going to mop the floor with me. Unless I get seven human souls,” Asriel chuckled at a reference only he understood.

“Why would you need a human soul, let alone seven of them?” you asked concerned of the answer you may or may not get.

“Humans and monsters can grow stronger by absorbing the souls of deceased members from the opposite species. If I absorb the equivalent of seven human souls I’m basically unstoppable. Unless you talk me out of it that is,” Asriel explained. 

Though you weren’t quite sure whether he was being serious on the last part, it concerned you nonetheless.

Once you arrived to your room, you decided to take a shower. You still had evening classes coming later on. You were already standing under the shower when Asriel knocked on the door.

“Didn’t you want to talk to Lonnie later today?” Asriel’s muffled voice could be heard from outside the bathroom.

“Yeah, I did,” you responded in slight annoyance. You almost managed to forget about that, but of course, Asriel just had to remind you.

“And what about the game you promised to play with me today?” he asked. Even underneath the sound of running water you still managed to hear Asriel’s impatience. 

“Once everything else is taken care of,” you responded baffled by how backwards Asriel’s priorities were.

A few minutes later you stepped out of the bathroom again, refreshed and fully dressed.

Only a few seconds later, a knock could be heard from outside the room; you already knew who was outside.

Of course Asriel had to open the door immediately and greet whoever was outside.

Lonnie stood inside the door, just as you expected.

“Hi, I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time,” he greeted you as he entered the room.

“Let’s just get this over with, I have evening classes soon,” you responded impatiently.

“Alright, I’ll make this quick,” Lonnie stated remaining undeterred. You watched as he pulled out a notebook from his bag and began flipping through his notes to find a blank page to write on.

“I’m just going to ask you a few question and I’d like you to answer as best as you can,” he stated looking up from this notebook. 

He shot you a smile while you continued to glare at him. You could feel your stomach turn. No matter how nice Lonnie might be, you simply did not like him.

“Alright, fine,” you agreed in a way that made you sound more like a cold business man.

“Great. Let get started then,” Lonnie responded appearing enthusiastic about this entire thing, “how exactly were you created?”

“I can’t give you any details because I’m not sure myself. All I know is that the scientist involved managed to decode the human DNA and created artificial strands with the desired changes. Everything else, I assume, happened in vitro,” you once more began to recall memories you’d rather bury somewhere, where you won’t find them ever again.

“That sounds pretty messed up,” Lonnie said as he wrote notes on his notebook. “How was your life like back then?”

“I was living with a gun pressed against my chest, metaphorically speaking. Stepping out of line was not tolerated; those who did were severely punished while some were even killed. I was basically living in fear every single day,” you continued to answer Lonnie’s question.

While Lonnie continued to scribble in the notebook he brought, you checked the time; your evening classes will start in a few minutes.

“Well, I think it’s about time I leave for class,” you said as you got you grabbed your bag. “Asriel might be able to help you if there’s something else you want to know.”

“Got it. Thanks for answering my questions even though you obviously dislike me,” Lonnie said trying to show his appreciation, but you were already out the door.

While you were on your way to attend another highly uninteresting hour of alternate history class, you remembered that you still had assignments to work on. Maybe the upcoming class can be used for something productive after all.

So you decided to take a seat in the back of the room. While the teacher was rambling, you continued to work on your unfinished assignments.

The hour passed faster than you expected and you still managed to get a pass for the day despite your mental absence.

You returned to your dorm and once you opened the door, you were immediately greeted by your caprine roommate.

“Welcome back,” he shot you a wide smile.

“You’re acting like I’ve been gone for weeks. It’s only been an hour,” you responded amused.

You shut the door behind you and tossed your bag in a nearby corner.

“So, did Lonnie asked you any special questions?” you asked as you sat down on your bed.

“Nope, nothing in particular. He asked me the same stuff I asked you. I answered as best as I could,” Asriel answered casually.

Asriel walked over to the TV and picked up the controllers.

“So, you ready?” he asked looking at you with anticipation.

“Sure, I did promise you after all,” your answer was much to Asriel’s delight. For a moment, he simply looked happy and careless.

Asriel handed you a controller and turned on the console and for once, there were no updates that would eat up time. Only a few seconds later and you were met with the title screen.

Once the character selection came up Asriel decided to randomly select his character, saying that it would be unfair if he’d choose a character he was familiar with. You randomly selected your character because you still had no idea what you were doing.

Once the stage was selected, the fight began with Asriel instantly throwing attacks at you. While it was still obvious that he was new to the game, his performance improved quite a bit. Seeing that you were completely clueless as to how the game works, you simply mashed buttons after waiting for Asriel’s to miss.

The first round actually ended with a draw, which was quite rare to happen.

On the next round, characters were selected and Asriel began to blindly mash buttons again. After performing a variety of pretty, but ultimately useless moves, Asriel once again managed to off his own character.

He simply dropped his controller on the floor and took a deep breath.

“You know, maybe this was a bad idea after all,” Asriel said, his former joy seemingly disappeared.

“So you’re calling it quits?” you asked surprised that Asriel would just give up like that, especially after looking forward to playing games with you.

“Yeah. I’m just going to get upset and hurt someone. And if that someone is you I probably won’t see the next day,” he stated sounding disappointed but ultimately relieved.

“That’s a shame, but alright. It’s your call,” you said understandingly.

“Besides that, you still have assignments to work on, right? I don’t want to get in the way of your education. There’s too much at risk for you,” Asriel replied. He sounded almost sad that it had to be this way but only wants what’s best for you.

“I appreciate your concern,” while you were grateful for Asriel’s concern, you were slowly getting the impression that something was off.

Before you could ask him if something was up, he climbed into his bed and rolled over exposing his back to you. It was rather odd he had gone to bed that early. You responded with a sigh figuring it was probably best not to ask him about it after him becoming annoyed from playing the game.

Seeing as your schedule had changed, you decided to continue working on your assignments. Once the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the veil night covered the campus, it was time for you to go to bed. As you laid in bed, you stared at the ceiling remembering the discussion you had with Lonnie.

Another person decided to question you about your past; a person you severely disliked. Could you really trust someone you barely knew with the knowledge of your past? It made you wonder whether you actually have to utilize the skill you were taught years ago. Or had you been overdramatic about Lonnie altogether? He seemed like he was actually a nice guy, but your gut feeling kept disagreeing with you every time you came into contact with him. Either way, as long as things between you and Asriel don’t turn sour, you should be fine.


	15. Some kind Of Magic

Once again, you find yourself lost in memories that felt foreign, yet so familiar. As if stuck on repeat, you watched the same pictures flash by you, over and over again. Their meaning and origin, both remained a mystery to you. No matter how hard you tried, you simply could not dismiss them due to the uncanny feeling of familiarity they caused.

It was only when the world around you began shaking, that you finally began to wake up from your endless slumber. As you groggily opened your eyes, you were met with Asriel’s face. Within his emerald eyes lies a hint of fear as his facial expression began to shift into concern.

“Are you alright? You looked like you had an unpleasant dream,” Asriel spoke in a soft and soothing voice. He didn’t want to startle you as he feared the possible consequences.

“Yes, I am fine,” you nearly hissed at Asriel, which almost caused him to stumble backwards in shock.

“Sorry about that,” you sighed as you apologized. “I just had a really weird dream.”

“I-it’s alright, don’t worry about it,” Asriel said trying to sound reassuring. Unfortunately, his nervous stutter betrayed his reassurance.

The morning continued the same way it did many times before. Asriel took a shower while you were reading through the play’s script. Once Asriel was finished, you took a shower and left to go eat breakfast afterwards. 

Just like yesterday, Lonnie invited himself over to sit with you, much to your displeasure. Just who did he think he is? Didn’t he know that it’s considered rude to just sit down by a table without asking?

“Morning guys. How’re you doing?” he greeted with a smile on his face. You simply looked at him with the same hatred you held for those who were involved in the experiment that created you. You’re never going to like that guy.

“Don’t mind ____. He’s just having a bad day,” Asriel casually remarked.

“Don’t worry about it. I know he hates me,” Lonnie said ignoring your hostility towards him. In fact, he almost laughed it off. 

“Actually, I’m only hear to give you a quick update. I began working on the article about that entire Neko experimentation program.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t mind sending me a copy before you publish it, would you?” you asked not believing a single word he was saying. You figured that pinning him to that promise will keep him in check with what he would be doing with that knowledge.

“Sure, I’ll send you a copy once I’m done writing. I would have done that anyway because you’re directly involved after all,” he said happily agreeing, which only infuriated you even more.

“What do you hope to accomplish anyway? Everyone involved in the experiment is dead, except a handful of Nekos. The majority of evidence was destroyed, and Nekos as a species will die out sooner or later. Your article won’t do anything, since the entire experiment was literally a dead issue,” you stated bluntly. You still didn’t believe him and began to question Lonnie’s motives, which didn’t seem to faze him at all. 

“That may be true, but I still think the public has a right to see the atrocities that happened during the experiment. It would be wrong to sweep stuff like that under the carpet,” he calmly explained, undeterred by your hostility.

“A little too late for that. The damage was already done and not a single person bothered lifting a finger to prevent what happened,” you sneered remaining unimpressed and ultimately unconvinced by Lonnie’s reasoning. His explanation only seemed to infuriate you more. All you wanted was a single slip of the tongue. A small, seemingly unimportant remark you could pin him down on. Anything that would confirm your suspicions.

“I don’t understand why you’re being so hostile. I’m trying to help you, you know?” Lonnie said starting to become a little irritated by your hostility.

“I do NOT trust you. There is nothing that you can do to make me trust you. And if it turns out you’ve been lying to me then I’ll be sure to add a few new scars to your face,” you threatened Lonnie with fury in your eyes. There was nothing you could use against him, and it began driving you crazy. 

You knew he was hiding some ulterior motives, your gut was telling you. But maybe this was one of those rare instances where your gut was wrong. Maybe Lonnie is a good guy with only the best intentions. 

“C’mon now, that’s just uncalled for. I’m really trying to help you, that’s all,” Lonnie remained calm as he tried to, at least somewhat, to calm you down. Perhaps you are simply overreacting. Maybe it’s time to stop being on high alert all the time and try to trust someone regardless of what your gut is telling you. Who knows how many great friends you might have been missing out on.

You simply scoffed at his response. “Of course you do.”

But today was not the day you would let your guard down. Maybe someday, but not today.

Asriel simply sat there feeling totally out of place while you and Lonnie were arguing back and forth.

At some point you simply got up, dumped your remaining food out into the garbage and left for your classes. The day had just started and you were already furious.

Despite your irritated mood, you tried to focus on class to the best of your ability. In your Magic class, the professor decided it was time for the first practical applications. After the basic introductions, everyone moved to the practice rooms.

Of course you had no idea how to use magic, let alone what type of magic you could use. Not that you actually needed to know how to use magic, seeing that you are well versed on all sorts of combat.

You still tried to summon the magic that may or may not lie dormant within you. Further increasing your arsenal of defense wouldn’t cause any harm, at least not to you. 

Though try as you might, you simply couldn’t summon anything except frustration. The closest you actually got to magic was a tiny spark in your hand, which vanished just as quickly as it appeared.

“A very good attempt, but you need to focus a little more on the magic within you and channel it. Once you can feel it, release it. Here, try again,” Toriel, your professor for this class, spoke in a reassuring voice. 

You tried again, focusing on the embers of magic within you, hoping you could reignite them into a raging inferno. In a quick motion, you raised an arm to your other shoulder, crossing in over your chest as you focused on the power hidden within you. With another quick motion, you pointed your arm forward. 

While you didn’t see anything, you could hear something hitting the floor. It seems as if your magic had finally summoned something! The magic was slowly starting to take shape within you.

You could hear a satisfied hum coming from behind you. “Good job, you’re learning quickly,” Toriel praised, which didn’t seem like all that much of an accomplishment to you. You barely made any progress.

As the hour continued, you tried again and again. You focused until you felt a certain tingle in your fingertips and you shot your arm forward. Sometimes you heard the sound of something falling to the ground again, but most of the time, your efforts remained fruitless.

You let out a frustrated grunt as you let your arms drop beside you. After performing the same motions over and over again, you began to feel very tired. Maybe magic wasn’t for you. 

Too frustrated to keep your focus up, you let your eyes wander across the room. It seemed as if you were not the only one that was having trouble summoning magic. Pretty much every other student, that wasn’t a monster, failed. Some simply couldn’t summon anything, while other almost managed to hurt themselves.

You knew the dispositions were still there, but it seemed as if magic grows weaker when it isn’t used over long periods of time. Which added another thing for you to practice.

Maybe it would be easier for you to learn magic if you had any idea what kind of magic you can use. The only way to find out was practice, or at least so it would seem.

Class came to an end and you were given the assignment to continue practicing magic, or at the very least study it. 

The next class rapidly approached and you were definitely not looking forward to it. Physics, which is basically just math only even more complicated, was the next class in your schedule.

You spent the next hour listening to a lecture where the world around you was boiled down to nothing more than numbers, letters, correlations and formulas. It took only a few minutes before your brain began to liquefy and you completely lost track of anything the teacher was talking about.

After an eternity of listening to stuff that will have absolutely no meaning in your life, you were finally allowed to leave.

You were sitting back in the cafeteria, enjoying lunch as best as you could. Asriel simply sat across you and watched in silence. You could sense that there was something he was thinking about, but you had no idea what it was and you frankly did not want to know.

It seemed as if there was something Asriel wanted to talk about, but for some reason he was too afraid to ask. You guessed it had something to do with that weird dream you had mentioned this morning.

Another set of classes, that would ultimately prove useless to you later and you were sitting back in your room. You had drama practice later today, so you once again decided to read through the script.

“____, can I ask you something?” Asriel, although hesitant, asked deciding to break the silence.

“What is it?” you responded sounding more hostile than usual.

“I heard that you might be involved in the death of someone. Is there anything to it or is that just a stupid rumor?” Asriel asked was almost too scared to ask.

“I could probably answer that question, if you gave me a name instead of an ominous ‘someone’,” you answered almost dismissively. While you did have a slight suspicion of who he was referring to, you really didn’t care. That guy had it coming anyway.

“I don’t remember the name, but he used to be a social worker involved in the entire Neko integration program,” Asriel stated remaining cautious while trying not to sound to demanding.

“Yeah, I remember someone. He used to help me, or he was supposed to at least. That guy turned out to be the absolute worst. He showed no respect, he acted like he was better than everyone, and was overall a pain. He actually had the audacity to pull my tail, and it wasn’t just a light tug,” you said sounding like you could care less about his death.

“W-what did you do to him?” Asriel hesitantly asked despite seeming to be genuinely terrified.

“Just imagine what would happen if I really, REALLY want to see someone dead. And no, I did not kill him. I only sent him to the hospital for a long time followed by several months of therapy afterward,” you said as you remained disinterested and dismissive. That guy was a complete douche and ultimately got what he deserved.

Asriel fell completely silent as an expression of terror began to spread across his face. He saw how easy it was for you to throw Undyne around and he dreaded the thought of what could happen should you lose control.

As those countless scenarios of merciless destruction played out in his mind, a single question began to bother him more and more.

“What would happen if you absorbed seven human souls?” he whispered to himself, too quiet for a normal person to pick up.

“Come again?” you asked trying to make him speak up.

“Well eh, I um, its n-nothing,” he stuttered beginning to panic a little, haphazardly uttering chunks of what could have been words. While he was trying to regain his composure, you simply gave him your unamused look while you waited for him to spit out what he wanted to ask.

“I-I-I… Damn it. There’s no point in trying to hide it. I was wondering what would happen if you absorbed seven human souls,” Asriel sighed in defeat as he repeated his question.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you referring to the thing you told me about yesterday?” you ask, his question confusing you. Why would you absorb seven human souls? Why would you need human souls in the first place?

“Yes. I mean, can you absorb human souls? Do you even have a soul?” Asriel asked, his mind producing thousands of questions more he wished to ask.

You placed a hand on your chin and looked at Asriel with a thoughtful expression. “That’s actually a pretty good question. I honestly don’t know. Is there a way to find out?”

Asriel instantly grew uneasy, almost terrified. The expression on his face was one of dread, as if he was nothing more than a defenseless child facing a bloodthirsty killer.

“W-well, yes. T-there is a way. I can show you, if you want,” he began to stutter and prayed to whatever god might be listening that you wouldn’t be interested.

“Sure, I’d love to know,” you decided on accepting his offer, which only caused him to sink into an even deeper feeling of dread.

Asriel took a deep breath and gulped all his fears down. He raised one of his hands to your chest and closed his eyes. It took a moment of focusing, but after roughly a minute the room grew darker and darker. It was almost as if something was sucking in all the light, almost like a black hole. 

Asriel decided to open his eyes, and regretted it instantly. In front of him was a soul, neither human nor monster, radiating a radiant darkness. In front of him was a soul so twisted that he barely recognized it as one. But the shape and color wasn’t the only thing that terrified him. Your LOVE was on a level he didn’t think to be possible and it made one thing very clear. You wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone if you deem it necessary and you would do so without regret. 

“Is something off?” you didn’t know much about souls and wondered just why Asriel looked like he was only seconds away from a gruesome death.

“I- I don’t know how to put this. Your soul is… I don’t even know if you can call it a soul,” Asriel trembled completely at a loss for words.

He dispelled the effect you were under and your soul returned into your chest.

“So, can you give me a rundown on what all of that actually means?” you asked, your curiosity evident, as you knew very little about souls.

“Well, there’s only one thing I can explain to you and that’s LOVE,” Asriel began, but stopped once he saw the drastic shift in your expression.

“I didn’t ask you to explain love to me. I asked you to explain what all that stuff you saw in my soul means,” you said Asriel’s response irritating you.

“I don’t mean love as in loving someone. LOVE is an acronym used when describing souls. It stands for Level of violence and describes how easy it is for you to hurt or even kill someone. The higher the value the more you can distance yourself from others and, well… I’ve never seen someone with a LOVE as high as yours,” Asriel said trying to keep his composure as he explained LOVE to you. He felt like he was handling an entire bucket of highly unstable, undiluted nitroglycerin.

“So what? If I feel threatened I’m going to defend myself. If someone ends up dead, then tough luck,” you said completely shrugging off everything Asriel told you.

While you were caught up in everything that just happened, you forgot to keep an eye on the clock. Drama practice would start in less than ten minutes.

“Damn it, we’re going to be late for drama practice,” you exclaimed as you rushed out of the room and down the hallways. 

It took Asriel a moment before he realized what was going on, but soon after, he instantly began running after you.

Once you finally arrive at the drama club you immediately burst through the door. While you didn’t even break a sweat, Asriel arrived panting heavily. 

“There you are, we were almost afraid you’d ditch us,” Elena greeted you with a laugh. “You’re just in time. Practice was just about to start.”

The scene was already set up. A conference room, with numerous seats placed around a table shaped like an ellipse. On top of it sat a map of the world while numerous bookcases by the wall, containing countless books on the world’s history, folklore, and other entities.

Once everyone was dressed and in position, the next part of practice began.

 

You entered the conference room, the respective rulers of your allied kingdoms following close behind. A deeply concerned expression sat on everyone’s faces. Once everyone took their respective seat, you began the emergency conference.

“I apologize for ordering all of you here out of the blue, but we are currently facing an emergency. According to the spies we sent to the city of stars, the choir is attempting to summon the celestial children. Should they succeed, we’ll face a force far more dangerous than anything this world could throw at us. We’d have to fight against the very gods themselves,” you spoke in a stern voice as you explained the situation.

“The celestial children? If that turns out to be true we’d have quite the predicament on our hands,” Falset, princess of Del'fah spoke in her usually calm manner, sounding almost scholarly.

“There is no predicament. As soon as I receive word from our spies, I’ll give the order to have them kill every single member of the choir. Should my spies fail to gather enough information though, we’ll have no other choice but to plan an attack,” you explained remaining serious, even though the chances of war were slim.

“I-I don’t mean to be rude but, didn’t you say you’d avoid war if possible?” Asriel spoke in a meek, almost diminutive voice.

“There are only two options. Either we let them carry on and the choir succeeds, which forces us to wage war on the gods themselves, or we can go for a preventive strike and eradicate this threat before it even...” you began. Before you could finish explaining your position, you were interrupted by the doors bursting open. Your advisor stormed in.

“My lord, please apologize my intrusion, but I have urgent news. I’ve received word from the astronomers that a star disappeared from the night sky,” he spoke in a rushed tone as he gasped for air.

“There is no need to apologize. You’ve delivered important information. Dismissed,” you answered in a calm yet stern manner. The shift in your expression indicated you were willing to level the city of stars to the ground.

Your advisor simply nodded and left the room, closing the doors behind him.

A deathly silence permeated the room as no one dared to speak up. They were too intimidated by your shift in mood.

“This settles it. I’ll give the orders to prepare for war,” you said cold and devoid of any emotion.

“Is that really the way you want to go? Shouldn’t you just capture the members of the choir and...” Asriel began but was immediately cut off by you slamming your hand on the table.

“AND WHAT! Let another choir rise? These religious fanatics are all the same! They are all so deeply indoctrinated in their belief that they would try again and again. The choir is like a hydra. The more heads you cut off, the more that will regrow,” you glared at him as you spoke in an enraged tone.

“I’d have to agree with Asriel. The choir managed to summon only one celestial. We cannot say for certain they’ll succeed again,” Falset remained calm as she sided with Asriel. “Furthermore, you can’t simply eradicate an entire continent’s population.”

“I can and I WILL. We cannot take any risk, no matter how small the chance. They succeeded once and they WILL succeed again, it is only a matter of time. We HAVE to act now before we or our future children will bear the consequences. It is their goal to call upon the celestial children. Not just of the choir but of the entire continent,” the fury of a thousand suns burned in your eyes as you defended your position.

“Is that really the path you want to take? Do you really wish to end the lives on countless innocent people?” Falset challenged remaining unconvinced.

“From what little information my spies managed to gather, none of the citizens are innocent. They all are completely caught in their delirious beliefs of a greater plane. Besides that, you seem to forget one tiny detail. Should they summon an army of celestials, everyone’s life will be in great danger, regardless of whether they’re our enemies or allies. What about those innocent lives? Do you really want to risk every single life on this planet just to preserve those few you deem innocent? Do you really wish to risk millions and millions of lives to save a few thousand?” you said without hesitation. To you the choir and the city of stars in its entirety was a threat to everyone on the planet and as such had to be eradicated.

Once more, the room cloaked in a deathly silence. While you stood there, convinced that your way was the right one, Falset and Asriel remained lost in thought.

Minutes passed before they rose their head again.

“I must apologize. You’re right, the city of stars is a threat. Forgive my foolishness,” Falset submitted agreeing to your proposed plan.

“I hate saying this, but it’s true. The only way to avoid this threat is by destroying the city of stars,” Asriel admitted despite being against waging a war of any kind.

“I too, should apologize. This is by no means an easy decision but the fate of the world is at stake. I appreciate your support and I hope I can count on you until the very end,” you sighed in relief. “The conference is over, you may leave now.”

Elena clapped her hands together with glee signaling that practice had finished taking place. Everyone returned to their normal selves before walking to the dressing rooms to change out of their costumes. Elena quickly rushed over to you and hugged you.

 

“Well, ____. I have to say, you once again blew my expectations out of the water. Keep up the good work,” Elena complimented releasing you from her tight hug. As she walked away, you returned your costume back onto the hangers and waited outside the theater for Asriel to finish changing his clothes. A few moments later, Asriel left the theater and accompanied you back to the room. 

“Seriously, why do I always get the shy and timid character?” Asriel ranted.

“Probably because it fits you like a glove,” you chuckled as you gave him a not so serious answer.

Asriel simply responded with an ‘hm’ and crossed his arms. A few seconds later, a wide smile began to spread on his face as he began laughing. “You’re totally right. It does fit me.”

Once you arrived at your room, you dropped on your bed and stared at the ceiling. Asriel followed suit onto his bed and a pleasant silence lingered in the room. Unfortunately, Asriel had to ruin the moment with another irritating question.

“____, is there a reason you’re always so hostile towards Lonnie?” Asriel inquired with curiosity.

You simply groaned in annoyance as you shifted onto your side. “I already told you. I don’t like him, I don’t trust him, and overall he appears pretty shady to me.”

“He hasn’t done anything to you. I don’t get why you’re so hostile,” Asriel responded pressuring you for answers.

“Just drop it already. I don’t like him, end of story,” you spat sitting up and shooting Asriel an angry expression, which immediately caused him to fall silent. While he wanted to press you further with his questions, he quieted down after remembering your conversation prior to drama class concerning the injured social worker.

The remaining evening was spend in silence. You and Asriel were both working on your assignments until the sun vanished beneath the horizon and you both went to bed.


	16. Echoes From The Past

The following days passed a lot faster than you expected. Classes, assignments as well as drama practice every second day, that was your life for now and it swallowed up most of your time. And whenever you had free time, you were busy studying. Just like you were right now.

You were surrounded by seemingly unconquerable walls of books, each one bigger than the previous, while you were busy studying in the library. Turns out studying here was much more effective than studying in your room, probably because here you didn’t have to deal with an overly flirtatious Asriel. Maybe your studies would be even more effective if you had a study buddy, or if you would stop drowning yourself in books. You were actually quite surprised that no one asked you to put some of the books back. Those almost ceiling high stacks posed a serious health hazard.

“____, is that really you?” your head perked up at the sound of a vaguely familiar voice.

As you turned around to face it’s origin you were, for once pleasantly, surprised to see a familiar face. It seems as if another survivor found their way here.

“Felix?” you asked for confirmation, baffled to actually see a familiar face around here. Or rather a familiar face you actually enjoyed seeing.

“The one and only,” he spun around and posed, shooting you a wide smile. You were still unsure whether he was actually a guy or not. His physique said no but something, probably his smell, told you that he was indeed a guy.

A smile began to spread across your face as you stood up from your chair. Memories of those very few pleasant moments you had during the experiment began flooding your mind. Like that one time he accidentally put on a dress and looked simply adorable.

As you emerged from your chair, ready to properly greet your old friend, you heard a loud thud noise. It was at this very moment you realized that stacking half of the libraries books on the same table was a huge mistake.

You bumped your knee on the table and the once gigantic walls of books began to shake violently, foreboding impending doom. Only seconds later, the entire construction fell apart.

You instinctively raised your arms to shield your face, perfectly aware of what's going to happen next. “Oh shi…”

With a loud rumbling sound you were buried underneath the crashing waves of knowledge.

“Oh my god! ____, are you alright?” Felix exclaimed in a worried tone as he gasped in shock. Without wasting another second, he rushed over to you and began removing books from the huge pile.

You pushed your fist through the pile of books and gave a thumbs up, then began to slowly dig your way out. In the meantime the librarian arrived, gave the entire scene a scrutinizing look and made a simply hush gesture before returning to the front. He was blind as a mole.

It took you a moment until you finally managed to dig your way out of the pile of books that you were buried under. The day was only halfway over and you've already learned a valuable lesson. Next time you construct a fortress of books, make sure you build it in a structurally stable way.

“Are you unharmed, do you need me to check on any injuries?” Felix asked in a deeply concerned way, amazed by the fact you seemed to have no visible injuries. He’s always been like that, always concerned about his friends.

Back during the experiment he was the first to check if you had any injuries and he would treat them right away if he found any. If you remember correctly his focus was healing magic.

You looked at yourself. All four of your limbs were still attached and unscathed, you had no paper cuts or bruises and were feeling fine overall.

“Yep, feeling totally fine,” you calmly responded. “So, is there something you want to talk about?”

“Yes, there actually is. Hold on a second,” he spoke enthusiastically as he began rummaging through his bag. It took him surprisingly long time to find what he was looking for. In fact, Felix had to stick his entire arm in the bag just to find it, which was a little unsettling to you. This bag must be defying all known, and unknown, laws of physics.

“Here it is, your official invitation to the top secret Neko club,” he pulled out a letter from his bag and presented it to you with a smile.

“So, what’s this club all about?” you asked as you took the letter and placed in your bag, that hopefully doesn’t defy physics.

“It’s all in the letter. Make sure you read a thoroughly and don’t let anyone else read it. It’s a secret after all,” his response was so vague he might have just said ‘it’s about stuff.' He even added a little hush gesture at the end.

You simply sighed in response. While you were no friend of secrets, you had the answers right in your hands so you decided to let it go. Besides, Felix was someone you’d consider a friend and even though you haven’t seen him in years, you still trusted him.

“Well, I’ll be off. I still have to hand out a few more letters. I hope to see you at the club. Take care,” Felix waved you goodbye and left the library in search for other Nekos.

It was only when you were ready to leave the library yourself that you realized the mess you made. There were what looked like 300 books you had to put back in place, all by yourself. You mentally slapped yourself for thinking you could read all of them in one day.

Once every book that belonged in the bottom shelves was in place, you moved on the one’s that were higher up and for that you’d need a ladder. So you began searching for anything that would even closely resemble a ladder only to found it’s broken remains next to a seemingly unconscious student. Seems like someone decided to take the ladder for a joyride.

You approached them and gave them a gentle shake.

“What? Can’t you see I’m busy being in pain?” They groaned in response and looked at you in annoyance.

You simply shook your head. If they can give you an attitude like they must obviously feel well enough to get up on their own. The broken ladder did pose a bit of a problem though. It meant you had to climb the shelves by yourself. Was that safe? Probably not. It’s not like highs posed a threat to you anyway. Cat’s always land on their feet, unless they don’t.

It took you way longer than originally planed to put every single book back in place. Climbing bookshelves in a library was something you would’ve never imagined you’d end up doing. On the other hand, you’d have never imagined going to college either. The only thing even more surprising was the fact that no one seemed to care about what you’re doing.

It was already dark outside when you were finally done putting all those books back in place. You grabbed your bag and left the library.

Once you arrived at your room, you carefully opened the door and immediately spotted Asriel lying on his bed. His expression looked like he was quite tired.

“Asriel, is everything OK?” you carefully walked over to him, a look of concern spread across your face.

“I made a big mistake,” Asriel expression was blank as he spoke like he seriously messed up.

“You joined college?” you joked, hoping that it would lighten the mood.

“I made two big mistakes,” he responded, his voice and expression unchanged.

Asriel remained quiet for a while as he switched from lying to sitting. Judging by his expression it seemed as if he was haunted by disturbing images.

“I decided to look up my name on the internet,” he finally spoke up again. By the looks of it he saw things he really didn’t need to see.

“Why would you do something like that? You know there are people out there that are absolutely obsessed with you,” you were quite baffled by Asriel stupid actions. He should have known better than looking up his name on the internet. Something did bother you though. He didn't sound quite sincere about what he just said.

“I was bored without you around,” he whined, looking at you with an almost childish expression. Even though you had serious doubts whether he was truthful or not, you decided to play along. There simply wasn't enough evidence to pin him on something.

“I told you that you can join me if you want to and you said you were good.. You have no one to blame but yourself,” you still sounded baffled by Asriel’s imprudent actions. He’s one of the most popular monsters and sought after by guys and girls alike. Of course he’d find some disturbing imagery of himself on the internet, if that was what happened.

“I’m not even going to get started on all those ways people draw me and with who. I don’t even know most of these people except my family, which by the way is really, REALLY, messed up. And I’m really not interested in those few I do know. They’re either already in a relationship or not my type. And Frisk is dead to me. After millions of resets, despite the fact that everyone was happy, I’m just fed up with them,” Asriel broke into a seemingly endless rant as his expression changed into frustration. He seemed to be more upset about the resets that the drawings of him. It seemed like your doubts were justified.

“Also, you can’t just draw a girl and call it a guy! It doesn't work like that,” he continued to vent his frustration and this time you could actually understand why he was upset.

“Isn’t that what they do in Anime these days?” you casually remarked.

“I do NOT look like a girl… Do I?” Asriel’s gaze drifted off to the side as he spoke in an unsure tone.

“____, please be honest with me. Do I really look that much like a girl?” his voice sounded insecure as his eyes shot upwards. He was now looking at you from the corner of his eyes. It was beyond your understanding why he would get upset over people drawing him like a girl, if that was what he's upset about. He’d probably never meet any of them.

“Well, you do appear a little more feminine than the average guy,” you spoke in a calming voice. Things got really weird, really quick and you were worried that things might get even weirder.

“You’re NOT helping,” Asriel responded in a disappointed and almost offended tone as he crossed his arms and looked off to the side again.

“You said you wanted me to be honest. I gave you my honest opinion and you’re still not satisfied?” you were slightly irritated by Asriel’s sudden, and to you unjustified, outburst.

“By that I meant, say something encouraging like: of course you don’t, handsome,” Asriel ‘corrected’ you by telling you what he wanted to hear. By now you were convinced he wasn’t upset but rather in need of attention.

“Alright fine, have some encouragement. You might look like a girl but at least your a pretty girl,” you answered his pleas with a rather sarcastic response.

“That’s NOT what I meant! Thanks though,” Asriel tried to act offended, though his expression showed that he was clearly flattered. This was the first compliment you ever made, even though it was more of a joke than anything else.

“So everything’s good now?” you asked, growing a little tired with Asriel’s games. If he kept acting like something bad happened, only so you’d pay attention to him, you might reconsider sharing a room with him.

“Yeah, everything’s good, though I could use some brain bleach,” considering how quickly Asriel was laughing and joking again, you assumed that nothing was ever wrong.

"Are you sure you're not lying to me? To me you look like you just woke up from a nightmare or something like that," you were still doubting him and decided to press him a little further.

"Nothing gets past you, does it? You're right. I was taking a nap and had a nightmare. That's all I'm willing to tell, at least for now," Asriel gave in immediately. You didn't know what his nightmare could possibly be about but he would probably tell you sooner or later.

"Suit yourself," you didn't even picked up on the subject and instead decided to sit down on your bed and read the letter you’ve been given earlier. Once you digged out the letter from your bag, you carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a fancy looking piece of paper.

“This letter is a formal invitation to the top secret Neko club, only handed to Nekos that survived the experiment. (everything else would be silly, since handing this letter to a dead Neko would be pretty pointless.)”

You just began reading and were already raising an eyebrow. This was supposed to be a formal letter so why would anyone think it’s a good idea to add humorous but otherwise pointless lines?

“The purpose of the club is to simply spend time with familiar faces, since our kind is still rejected by society. Furthermore we intend to hold regular meetings to plan our course of action should more survivors show up. These include, but are not limited to, other Nekos, scientists and personal that used to be involved in the project.”

A club to hang out with other Nekos and, in case the need arises, discuss further plans of action? While you weren’t quite sure what the latter part meant you were still interested in the first part. It’s been way too long since you saw a familiar face or two, not counting the encounter earlier in the library.

“The first meeting will take place next Saturday, 6 pm at room 045. Please bring your invitation. We hope to welcome you to our club.”

After a moment of thinking you decided to put the letter back in the envelope and place in one of your desk’s drawers.

“Did someone send you a letter?” Asriel asked in an almost sing song voice. He was probably thinking something indecent, like always.

“Actually this is just a fancy piece of paper placed inside a folded piece of paper,” you responded with a strong hint of sarcasm.

“Is it a love letter? Oh, maybe some indecent pictures? You don’t need them as long as you have me, you know,” Asriel wiggled his eyebrows as he spoke in a suggestive voice. If that wasn’t enough, he also decided to get uncomfortably close. He was really pushing his luck today.

You expression changed to something that could only be described as 'seriously?' as you gave him a gentle shove, pushing him off you.

“I swear, if you keep this up things might turn sour,” you hissed at him in slight agitation. If there’s one thing you weren’t in the mood for, it’s Asriel’s constant stupid games.

Asriel fell over in a motion so over dramatic, so over exaggerated and so obviously staged one could think he plays football (or soccer as some call it.)

“How dare you villain push such a pretty and fragile girl like me?” Asriel raised one hand upwards while the other clutched his chest. It was actually pretty amusing seeing him act like that.

“Are you done now?” you asked with a hint of amusement in your voice. Moments like this, where everything just seemed so normal and peaceful, made you forget about everything that happened in your past, even if just for a moment.

And then there were those vision, those dreams, that made no sense. Those fleeting glimpses of places you don’t recognize and yet feel so strangely familiar with. And you would never get any answers, since Asriel still remained adamant about not answering a single question about it.

“Yep, I’m done for now,” He stood up and dusted himself off. “Seriously though, you’re probably the only one that would do what you just did.”

You once again raised an eyebrow. “Really? I’m seriously the only one that would push you away when you get uncomfortably close? I know you’re quite popular with both guys and girls but I seriously doubt you can just offer to...”

A knock on the door cut your attempt to explain yourself short.

Asriel, being the way he is, immediately rushed over and opened it. Of course it was Lonnie. Who else was it supposed to be?

“Hi, I hope I’m not coming at a bad time,” Lonnie spoke in a somewhat apologetic tone as he entered the room.

“You always come at bad times,” you snarled at him with a grim expression on your face. For some reason Asriel began snickering wildly. A simple glare was enough to make him regain his composure again.

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” you whispered as you slightly shook your head. Sometimes you could only wonder whether Asriel was really an adult or not.

“I won’t take up much of your time. Just here so you can read over the draft of the article I’m writing on. It’s almost ready for publishing but if there’s anything you want to see added or removed, let me know,” Lonnie spoke causally as he handed you the paper he’s been writing on.

“Thanks. I’ll read it once I get a chance to,” you thanked him even though your gut was telling you to just kick him out and slam the door in his face.

“What’s that? No snarky remarks? No threats? Just a simple ‘thank you’ and nothing more? Don’t tell me you’re actually starting to like me,” Lonnie immediately noticed your slight change in attitude and jumped on it.

“Don’t ruin this. I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself. Mess this up and that’s it. No second chance,” you reminded Lonnie not to push his luck too far. While you still didn’t trust him, you decided to give him a chance.

“Alright then, see you guys around,” Lonnie remained undeterred once again and left, skillfully ignoring what you just said.

You decided to add Lonnie’s article to all the stuff that you’ve been collecting in the drawers of your desk. It was getting really late and you were starting to feel tired. You’d probably read it tomorrow, maybe.

You decided to pay a quick visit to the bathroom and go straight to bed afterwards.

Once under the warming covers of your bed, you began drifting off to sleep until something began to feel off. The entire atmosphere seemed to change slowly. No longer did you feel like you were in college but rather somewhere else. It didn’t feel threatening and even though your surroundings felt strange and alien, they still held a certain sense of familiarity.

You opened your eyes again and were overrun by a strange feeling. You still saw the world from your own eyes but it still felt as if you were nothing more than an observer, a spirit that follows behind and watches.

A look around the room revealed that you were no longer in college but rather somewhere else. The room you were in still had everything a normal room has. A wardrobe, TV, a desk with a PC, some decorations and of course a window. The room even had two beds placed across from each other.

You wanted to look around but something prohibited you from doing so. It was as if you were a second person sitting inside another body. You had no control or other sort of influence on the body you were in but you still saw everything as if it was your own.

“WAKE UP ALREADY!” a familiar sounding voice shouted. It was Asriel, trying to wake up your sleeping from but you were awake. At least 'you' you was. The other you obviously wasn't.

This was probably the most confusing situation you’ve ever been in. You’re asleep, that much you can tell. But you’re also asleep in your dream while also being awake. Just when you thought things couldn’t get anymore confusing your body began moving on it’s own. It was at this moment it dawned on you that this must be another one of those strange visions. You simply let it play out.

“Alright, that was adorable,” Asriel spoke with adoration as he watched you yawn and stretch.

After a short conversation revolving around Asriel choice of boxers and the ones he designed himself, Asriel got dressed or at least he would have. He just had to make comments that once again showed that he’s quite aware of the fact that people all over the world adore him and it also showed that he isn’t really afraid to show himself to you. Maybe things would look differently if he was actually naked, though you seriously doubted that.

It made you wonder whether he’s like that around everyone he has a crush on or if you’re an exception. Considering everything he told you, you assumed the former. With all those resets he one told you about you’re probably not his first crush and you probably won’t be the last.

This time Asriel’s teasing backfired immensely as ‘old you’ used his words against him, while also adding a little bit of seduction. As a result, Asriel began blushing brighter than the sun while you were laughing your butt off. It also showed once more that Asriel tends to change the topic when things get awkward. So you moved downstairs as Asriel was talking. Something about introducing you to the others or so.

As you entered the dining room, you immediately recognized a few faces, while others remained alien. Undyne and Toriel, those two you recognized from the present. The small lizard lady next to Undyne remained a stranger. A few minutes later more monsters, or rather two skeletons, joined the table. The small one seemed familiar. It was the same guy that nearly gave you a heart attack when you were exploring the college. The tall one was a rather loud and annoying stranger.

The lavish breakfast in front of you not only smelled delicious, it also looked that way. All these things you’ve never seen before, they made your mouth water like a waterfall. You simply decided to help yourself to whatever you can fit on your plate.

While you were busy stuffing yourself with food, everyone else was talking about you and what to do with you. Most of it was about where you came from and how Asriel found you. One thing stood out however and it instantly caught your attention. The conversation shifted to whether you should be allowed to stay or not. It seemed that everyone, that was present, agreed but Asriel still made a call. Seconds later you got the final OK, then you began to wake up again.

The sun was slowly rising again and despite sleeping for a good seven hours, you didn’t feel rested at all. That dream you had, it gave you so many questions while also adding to your suspicions. It was clear as day that you and Asriel knew each other in a previous timeline so why is he trying to hide it? Is it because you were an entirely different person back then? Maybe you should ask some of those faces you recognized. Asriel did tell you that most people don’t remember resets but maybe one of them does. It was your only hope to get some answers.

Or maybe it wasn’t. A familiar scent lingered in the air and you knew who it belonged to. Maybe there’s someone else that can give you the answers you seek.


	17. A Day Out

The morning sun was rising, shining golden light inside the room once more. You decided to get out of bed, despite your critical lack of sleep. Sure, you could have simply tried to fall asleep again, seeing that you had no classes over the weekend but you were pretty sure that the dream from earlier would keep you awake.

Asriel was still fast asleep, exploring whatever dream he was having. Sometimes you could see his face twitch a little or hear him make weird noises in his sleep. But overall his sleep seemed peaceful, at least much more than yours.

With Asriel still asleep, there wasn’t much to do that wouldn’t wake him up. So for time being, you decided to stare out the window and watch nature.

Birds were soaring through the azure sky, singing their songs as they circled across the infinite blue. Occasionally they would land, hopping over the ground in search for something to eat. It was an almost serene sight, one you’ve rarely seen before. For once, you felt normal. For this one, single moment you felt as if your past never happened, as if you were nothing more than an ordinary student, living an ordinary life. You couldn’t help but wonder, is this what it feels like to be ‘human’? Or maybe it’s just the predatory instinct that comes with being part cat.

You continued to watch the birds outside, hoping it would preserve the moment. They seemed so free in every way possible. They were free to go wherever they please, only having to worry about food, predators and mates. It was a simple but short life, much unlike yours. 

You averted your eyes from the window again and let them wander across the room. There wasn’t all that much to see apart from a sleeping Asriel. As your eyes passed by your desk, you remembered something. The article Lonnie handed you yesterday was lying in one of the drawers. Seeing that there wasn’t much else to do, you decided to quietly rummage through the drawers until you’d find said article. 

Roughly five minutes later and you finally found what you were looking for. A quick glance over the article made it look much longer that it should be. With what little information was out there, the article shouldn’t be that long. You began reading through the article, wanting to find out just how much in it was actually relevant and not pointless fodder.

Reading through the first few paragraphs left you rather unimpressed. They served as nothing more than an introduction to the subject. The usual stuff.

The following paragraphs stated that everything written in the article is based of what surviving Nekos remembered and listed several names, some of which you recognized.

With all the formalities out of the way, the article started to crack down on what happened. Not a single atrocity remained unnamed, the abduction of innocent people, the genetic engineering on embryos, the abuse and murder that took place within the "personality alignment facilities'. Among all that info, something stood out to you. Numerous names of involved scientist were listed and along with them, pictures of their faces. How and where did Lonnie get those pictures and why would he add them to the article. Every single scientist is dead, you saw them swallowing the cyanide.

The article concluded on a more positive note, stating how integration makes steady progress. You could only scoff at those lines. Nekos were still not accepted and in some cases even attacked. How could anyone say integration was making progress. If things keep going the way they do it’d only a matter of time until there’s nobody left to integrate.

You placed the article back in the drawer, where it would probably spend the rest of its lifetime. There wasn’t anything you’d like to see added or removed since you frankly didn’t really care enough. To you, that article was a waste of time. Everyone involved is dead and there was not a single sign of compensation. The state wasn’t responsible for what happened and not a single scientists involved had relatives that weren’t in on everything.

As you returned to your bed you noticed that Asriel was awake. He was staring at you, pretending to still be asleep.

“I know you’re awake,” you said as you sat down on your bed. Why was he always like that? He’s either being overly flirtatious or simply weird.

“I know I’ve been asking this pretty much every second day but, are you alright? You look like something’s bothering you,” Asriel showed himself concerned once more. It was another thing that bothered you. Not the fact that he seemed to care about you but rather the fact that he always wanted answers but never wanted to answer himself.

“Yes, I’m fine,” you answered in an almost apathetic tone.

“Did you read through Lonnie’s article?” Asriel continued to ask questions he should already know the answer to.

“Yeah, I did. Feel free to check it out if you want to,” you remained aloof as you pointed at your desk. “Just keep your hands of the letter.”

The morning continued in the same way the previous mornings did. An uneventful breakfast paired with a bit of chit chat as well as the occasional stare from other student and the usual gossip. People were still talking about how things looked like between you and Asriel. Just why are people so obsessed with the private life of people that are far out of their league.

Breakfast was over and you were about to return to your dorm when Asriel spoke up again.

“Hey, how about we go to the arcade and try out their bowling alley?” he sounded as enthusiastic as always.

“Sure, why not. There isn’t anything better to do anyway,” you agreed, though you were nowhere near as enthusiastic as Asriel was.  
“Great, let’s get going then,” Asriel seemed happy with your answer and went for the closest exit, with you following behind.

While you were on your way to the city, you continued to think about the dream you had earlier. With those other visions you had, you slowly began to stitch the various pieces together. Things still made hardly any sense though. It seemed as if Asriel found and nearly killed you. He then let you stay for the night. The following day, he introduced you to the others that were living in the mansion and they all agreed to let you stay. But what was that phone call about? Is it part of the reason he refuses to tell you about your shared past? And then there’s the fact that Lonnie’s scent lingered in the air when you woke up. It was time to formulate a plan. Someone will answer your question, being it Asriel, Lonnie or someone entirely else. One of them will answer, whether they want to or not.

“What are you thinking about?” Asriel picked up on your prolonged silence and decided to strike up a conversation, which caught you off-guard.

“Not much, just whether you were honest yesterday. You know, about looking up your name on the internet,” you quickly blurted out the first thing that came to your mind.

“Well, not really. I did look up my name but noting of it was too weird. Bless the guy that invented the blacklist feature,” Asriel confessed but quickly clasped his mouth shut once he realized that he said a little too much.

“What?” you’re expression became confused as you asked for some sort of explanation.

“I, well… how do I explain this? I looked up my name a few times before and I saw things I never thought I didn’t want to see. I know most guys are all about who’s the biggest but there is a point where it just gets ridiculous. And then there are the various pairings, if you want to call them like that. Don’t get me started on them, seriously,” Asriel’s vague explanation left you with more questions than answers, though you weren’t sure whether you wanted them answered.

“Are you referring to muscle mass or…?” you were hesitant to finish your sentence.

“Both. I’m completely fine with the way I look, even if it’s a little girly. You’ve seen me, right? Remember what you said back then?” he looked at you as if he was expecting something.

“Put some clothes on, you look like you’re freezing,” you recited from your memory, unsure if was correct or not.

“Yeah, something around that lines. If you look at some of the art people draw of me you’d wish I’d be freezing,” Asriel chuckled slightly. Was this really the kind of humor he enjoyed?

“I’ll be honest though, there are some really good drawings on the internet and they’re not all lewds,” he continued, sounding more happy than disturbed.

“And why exactly are you looking at pictures of yourself on the internet? Are you curious how strangers think you look like or rather how they’re ideal version of you looks like? Or are you simply a bit narcissistic?” you pushed him a little further, trying to find something you could use to get under his skin should the need arise.

“The former. I’m actually quite curious to see how strangers think I look like in the bedroom or rather how they wish I’d look like. Just imagine their disappointment. Some people get really creative though. I actually saw a picture that got me thinking a little. It was basically me, wearing a costume that basically let the protagonist of the game cross-dress,” he once again drifted off into a more suggestive tone, and you didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about and I’m not sure whether I want to know. Do you want to cosplay or what?” you were beginning to sound more and more hesitant. Wherever this conversation was going, you expected Asriel to make another, unnecessary suggestive comment.

“I guess you can say that. I just need some textiles and I’m good to go,” and once again, he gave you a rather vague answer. It was really starting to get on your nerves. It was almost worse than not answering at all.

“Hey, look over there. A shop that actually focuses on textiles, let’s check it out,” Asriel rushed over to the shop. He was actually serious about this.

You simply followed him, even though this entire trip took a vastly different direction than originally expected.

“Just what’s this costume about anyway?” you asked, becoming more and more impatient.

“You’ll see. It might a bit revealing around the stomach though,” and there it was AGAIN, that stupid smile he pulled whenever he was thinking something indecent. 

“C’mon, let’s go already. I need your help to find a color that suits me,” he dragged you inside the shop without hesitation. If it weren’t for the fact you were in public you probably would have hurt him. 

Once inside Asriel instantly began browsing through the countless textiles the shop had to offer. They offered textiles in color, shape and form. Wool, satin, silk and all those other types you didn’t know about.

“Hey, what do you think?” Asriel called out, holding a roll of royal purple silk next to him. “It’s the same shade the robes I used to wear have.”

“What robes?” you asked in curiosity, as you approached him. Textile shopping with a guy, that was another one of those things you never expected to do.  
“These robes,” he answered, as he pulled out his phone to show you a picture of younger him, wearing a purple ‘robe’ with some weird rune on it.

“That’s a dress,” you blatantly pointed out.

“No, it’s a robe,” Asriel denied, shaking his head, causing his ears to flop around again. Just as a safety precaution, you decided to take a step back.

“That’s a dress,” you insisted.

“I know,” Asriel sighed as he looked off to the side.

“Asriel, be honest. Are we really here to buy supplies for some sort of costume or are we here for some other reason?” you gave Asriel a rather serious look as you question him.

“Mom said we’re running out of cloth to make new robes or dresses or whatever you want to call them, so she asked me to buy some more,” Asriel confessed, looking visibly ashamed.

“Why exactly did you lie?” you pressed him for answers.

“Because it’s embarrassing. Saying I’m working on a costume sound way cooler than saying my mom needs more cloth because we’re completely out of it,” Asriel explained, sounding like he was a little upset over the rather trivial reason he had to visit the textile shop.

“Just stop it with all those stupid lies, even if they’re white lies. They’ll get you nowhere. If your lucky, you might make it out with no troubles but it’s more likely that those lies will crash down on you and mess up pretty much everything in your life,” you practically scolded him.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Asriel sighed and he avoided eye contact, as a guilty expression began to spread on his face. “Well, I got what I needed so we might as well move to the checkout.”

Asriel grabbed the rolls and moved to the checkout, where an elderly lady was sitting.

“Seems like someone enjoys tailoring,” the lady spoke in a raspy voice as she adjusted her glasses. “It’s lovely to see such a young lady enjoy the traditional ways.”

Asriel was visibly confused by her statement. He might be young but he most certainly wasn’t a lady.

“And who is this handsome young man, your boyfriend?” she looked over to you, with a heartwarming smile. She might be nearly blind, but she’s still rather charming. “She’s a little weak around the chest, don’t you think so?”

“She’s got a big heart to make up for it,” you decided to play along with a small compliment, which draw a hearty chuckle out of the woman.

“A man that see’s a lady for who she is. Make sure you keep him, a man like that is a rarity,” the lady laughed as she patted Asriel on the shoulder.

“I have no intentions on letting him go,” Asriel finally decided to join in on the rather humorous situation.

“That reminds me of the day I met my husband. He was such a charming young man and boy could he dance,” she began to reminiscent of earlier days as a content expression began to spread across her face. “Ah, but you have to excuse little old me. I’m sure you have a wonderful day planned.”

“Oh, could you please sent the rolls to this address,” Asriel added as he handed a piece of paper with an address to the lady.

“Of course dearie. I’ll tell my nephew when he comes to help me in the shop next Monday,” She happily agreed and placed the textile rolls, along with the address, in the back. 

Once everything was paid for, you were ready to go to the arcade and do what you originally came for.

“Have a great day, you two,” The lady waved you goodbye, smiling from ear to ear.

“What a lovely old woman,” you said as you left the shop behind you.

“Do you think so?” Asriel sounded like he was thinking otherwise.

“Cut her some slack. She clearly has very poor eyesight, despite wearing glasses,” you were rather disapproving of Asriel’s attitude. 

“Yeah, whatever. We’re here,” Asriel was still rather grumpy about the encounter as he entered the arcade. You simply sighed and followed him inside, where the neon interior greeted you once again with all its charm.

You attention was drawn to the bowling alley, while Asriel was talking to whoever was sitting behind the counter. The alley was empty, not a single soul was out there going for a perfect game.

“Alright, everything’s set up. We have the alley all for ourselves, for as long as we want. At least until someone else shows up,” Asriel walked up from behind you with a big smile plastered across his face.

“Aren’t we supposed to change our shoes or something like that?” you asked, feeling quite sure that it was mandatory.

“Nope, not here,” Asriel chirped in response, as he walked over to the alley. “C’mon, what are you waiting for?” 

You were pretty sure that, that posed a serious security hazard but you still followed Asriel who was already busy setting up the score board. Once everything was done, you began to look for a bowling ball that suited you.  
This was your first time bowling and you had absolutely no idea what you were doing. You did know about the basics but that’s pretty much it.

The game began and Asriel was up on the first frame. He picked up pace and gracefully lunched the ball straight into the gutter. Asriel groaned in frustration and picked up the ball again. This time the ball reached the end of the lane and knocked over a whooping two pins, a success in Asriel’s eyes.

You were up, picked up your ball and took a running start. Just as you were about to step over the foul line, you stopped and launched the ball forward. Your first throw was looking pretty good, until the ball began to swerve to the right and ultimately land in the gutter. Once the ball returned, you tried again. The ball rushed down the lane and crashed into the pins, knocking over a total of three pins.

On the second frame, Asriel scored four points, the same amount as you. The third frame put you in the lead by two points. Fourth frame and you scored a strike, while Asriel knocked over nine pins allowing you to take the lead. Asriel managed to score a strike on the fifth frame, putting him in the lead. The game continued and you not only managed to take the lead again, but also keep it. Once the game was over you were crowned winner, the final score being 75 to 77.

“Rematch,” Asriel demanded, confident that he’ll win the next game.

“Fine by me,” seeing that you had the entirety of the bowling alley for yourself, you decided to agree.

Another game later and you actually lost. With a final score of 86 to 85 you were only two points away from another victory. You took the defeat like a champ, while Asriel was throwing his own, small victory party. He was cheering, jumping left and right, as he cherished the moment he won against you for the very first time.

Asriel’s celebration was cut short, when his stomach began growling. “How about we go grab some food?” 

“Sure, sounds good,” you agreed and moved on to the diner.

Once seated and with your orders placed, you starting chatting about nothing in particular. Music, games, anything that came up. 

“You once told me about resets, remember?” you began to slowly stir the conversation to a topic Asriel tried to avoid most of the times.

“Yeah, I did,” Asriel hesitantly answered, afraid of what you might ask next.

“How do they work? Does something special need to happen? Do you need to perform some sort of ritual? Maybe sacrifice human souls?” you asked a rather technical question, hoping the answers Asriel may or may not give will give you some insight on what happened in a previous timeline.

“Well, it’s rather complex. The only person currently able to perform a reset is Frisk and they can only do it because they’re the most determined individual that is currently alive. There is no real limitation to the resets. Frisk can do it whenever they feel like it, though it seems to trigger automatically whenever they die,” Asriel explained, surprised that you didn’t ask him what he though you were going to ask him.

“So Frisk is responsible for the resets,” you spoke in a thoughtful voice.

“Yeah, and I’m sick of it. Sometimes I wish I could just suck the determination out of their soul and just live a normal life. But that doesn’t work. Last time someone tried to suck the determination out of their soul terrible things happened and the timeline ended up being reset anyway,” Asriel confirmed, revealing just a little more about how he felt about the entire reset thing.

“What is this determination you’re talking about? I always though it’s just some sort of state of mind,” you tried to dig a little deeper, hoping that anything could help you uncover the truth.

“That’s a pretty complex topic. Determination is one of the seven primal soul traits and what allows a soul to persist after death. It also allows beings without a soul, like flowers, to gain the will live should they acquire determination. It naturally occurs in humans. Monster have it too, though the amount is so small that it requires the entire monster population back when the barrier broke to match a humans determination. A monster body can’t handle higher concentrations of it without melting. And no, a monster doesn’t die if their body melts,” Asriel further elaborated on the topic of determination, though none of it seemed useful at first.

“Primal soul traits?” you tried to get even more answers out of Asriel.

“The seven original traits that are present in every soul and also the basis for pretty much every other trait a soul can represent. Determination is the only official name. The other traits are bravery, justice, kindness, patience, integrity and perseverance. Each trait is represented by one of the seven colors that make up the visible part of light. It starts with red, for determination, and ends with purple for perseverance.” he began to explain a rather lengthy topic, which still gave you no direct answers. “Every trait is represented in the soul to a certain degree, which in turn affect the color of the soul. A soul with a fuchsia color is heavy on determination and integrity. The brighter a souls shines in a certain color, the stronger the traits the color represents.”

“So going by your explanation Frisk's soul would shine in a bright, vivid red,” you stated as if you were asking whether you understood what Asriel was talking about.

“Exactly. There is a limit though. All traits balance each other out. A soul that shines in a deep shade of purple, for example, would be very strong on perseverance but rather weak on the other traits. There are a few exception however. A pure white soul, which is as rare as it’s powerful, represents the perfect balance of all seven primal traits. A pitch black soul, like yours, is practically devoid of them,” Asriel not only confirmed what you said but also gave you a rather interesting piece of information.

The food finally arrived and the conversation returned to something more simple. The remaining afternoon passed with good food, a pleasant conversation and the occasional joke. Once the sun began to dip below the horizon you returned to the college. 

Today was quite insightful. You not only manged to gain information on the resets Asriel so much dreaded but also some interesting insights on the topic of SOULs. Maybe one day this information would come in handy, even if it’s just for an exam.


	18. The Neko Club

Another week of college passed with everything that came along with it. The first exams were very slowly approaching and drama practice made more and more progress. Elena even announced when the great performance would take place. The annual celebration of the day monsters were freed from the underground was set as the day that would reveal if your days of practice payed off or if they were nothing more than a waste of time. That was still quite a few days ahead though.

Right now you were on your way to room 045, the room where the first meeting of the Neko club was supposed to take place. Asriel was quite curious what the club was about and was almost begging you to let him join but you had to decline his request. The club was exclusive to Nekos and you were pretty sure Asriel wasn’t one, unless Nekos have horns and long floppy ears and are covered head to toe in fur. He was more of a goat than anything else.

You arrived at the rather barren looking door. Unlike the other clubs, that had their doors and surrounding wall brightly decorated, the door to the Neko club room still looked almost factory fresh. It didn’t surprise you at all. The club was still new and in addition to that supposed to be a secret. A brightly decorated door, plastered full with cute Neko pictures would draw in a lot of unwanted attention, especially from the Anime club. Just thinking about that club made you shudder.

You raised your hand and knocked on the door. Immediately, you could hear shuffling coming from the inside. The door opened slightly and a pair of eyes peered through the slit.

“Name and invitation,” the voice from behind asked in a growling tone.

“____,” you answered as you pulled out your invitation and showed it to the mysterious stranger behind the door.

The door opened even more, revealing close to thirty other Nekos, most of them siting by a table. You stepped inside and the door was promptly closed behind you.

“____! You actually came,” Felix rushed towards you the moment he realized it was actually you. “Remember anyone here?”

“Yes, I do. That one over there, with the cream colored ears. That’s Chloe,” you pointed at a Neko over by the window. “Say, is she still as passionate about dancing as she used to be?”

“You bet she is. Actually, I think it got even worse. It’s been only a few weeks since we all joined college and she’s already the captain of the dancing club,” a hearty chuckle escaped Felix’s throat. “She’s also pretty popular. Some go as far as saying that she’ll be a breakthrough when it comes to us being accepted by society. It’s only a matter of time until she’s world famous.”

A certain sense of satisfaction began to spread through you. Should Chloe really become world famous then society would surely be able to accept other Nekos as well. At least that’s what you and everyone else hoped.

“I’ll let you catch up with the others, talk to you later,” Felix shot you a smile before he returned to whatever he was doing before.

You continued to let your eyes wander across the surprisingly comfortable and homey room. So many familiar faces in one room, the last time you saw something like that was way back during the experimentation program. So many of your metaphorical brothers and sisters were here.

You felt how someone placed their hand on your shoulder and you turned around. Leo, a rather rough looking guy with maroon colored hair, was looking you straight in the eyes. Everyone else would be terrified by that but you knew him. It was his way of saying ‘Hi’.

“Hey ____, glad to see you here. Sorry if I appeared a little rude at the door. You can never be too sure if one of those damn scientist shows up,” he spoke in his usual, growling voice as he held out his hand. Most people would probably think poorly of him, thanks to the constant growl in his voice, but that too was part of who he is. He might look and sound like a wild lion but truth is he’s more of a lap cat.

“Don’t worry about it, I know how your brain works,” you shot him a smile as you shook his hand. “So, how have things been going for you?”

“Could be better. People avoid me whenever they can but at least they don’t pick on me. Unlike poor Lily. She’s been getting it from all sides. Poor girl deserves better than that,” Leo looked past you and over to Lily, who was sitting far in the back of the room. Her silvery hair hung over face, ears flattened against her head. “I feel sorry for her. She’s been through enough already, she doesn’t need a bunch of immature bullies picking on her. Just thinking about it, it makes me want to beat those bullies to a pulp.”

That’s the Leo you know. Kind, compassionate and a little hot headed.

“If I see anyone picking on her I’ll be sure to kick there ass to the moon and back. You can trust me on that one,” you looked towards Lily with a compassionate expression, shaking your head at the mere thought that there are people out there that pick on people whose life is already in shambles.

“Just make sure you don’t end up killing them, OK? I know I can be scary when I get mad but that’s nothing compared with when you get mad. You’d make a lion look like a sweet, innocent kitten,” Leo showed himself concerned for the bullies, even though he seems to despise them just as much as you do. “I just wish she’d open up a little. She wont even talk to any one of us.”

“You just have to keep trying. I’m sure she’ll open up once she realizes that you here to help her,” you gave Leo an encouraging pat on the shoulder. He simply nodded in response and walked over to Lily.

The other Nekos seemed like they were about to play some card game and you were considering joining them, when a knock on the door caught your attention. You sight and slightly opened it. Outside stood a girl wearing the worst fake cat ears the world has ever seen.

“Can I help you?” you asked in a cold tone.

“Can I join your club?” the girl asked with anticipation.

“What club? We’re just a bunch of friends studying together,” you blatantly lied, something you were surprisingly good at.

“Really? I saw a bunch of other Nekos enter the room, one after the other. I’m pretty sure this is a club,” she insisted on her claims.

“Fine. In that case I need your name, invitation and serial number,” you made up the serial number part, not that it really mattered. She doesn’t have an invitation, you were sure of it.

“Really? I’m obviously a Neko, see,” she did a little spin, revealing a cheap and obviously fake clip on tail.

“Yeah, you’re not getting in. Not without the required information,” she might be persistent but so are you. You’re not letting her in.

“I’ll tell the headmistress that you’re...” she tried to threaten you but found herself unable to finish her sentence.

“I’ll be waiting,” you simply cut her off, knowing perfectly that nothing would come out of it. While the girl simply stood there, looking deeply offended, you simply closed the door.

“Who was that?” someone you didn’t recognized asked.

“Just some random girl thinking she can just walk in here,” you casually answered as you shrugged your shoulders.

“What a nuisance. Anyways, I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Lucky, pleasure to meet you,” Lucky held out his hand as he greeted you with a smile on his face.

“I’m ____, nice to meet you too,” you answered, shaking his hand.

“So you’re ____? I heard about you. You must’ve been through a lot of shit,” Lucky showed himself sympathetic to you.

“We all have,” your response was rather plain and broad. You knew what he meant but you weren’t the only one that lived in constant fear of abuse and murder.

Lucky sighed as he looked of to the side. “Yeah, you’re right. At least we got our lives and each other. Well, some of us do.”

“Alright, looks like everyone’s here.” Leo announced while walking over to the table. “The first official meeting of the Neko club has officially started.”

Everyone assembled around the table, though no one really knew what the meeting was actually about. The invitation mentioned something about spending time with familiar faces and talking about taking action if the needs arises. That’s quite vague in your opinion.

“First off, I would like to thank everyone for coming. It’s been way too long since we had the chance to do something like this,” Leo seemed quite happy to be surrounded by people that actually accepted each other. “I know there’s probably a lot you want to talk about, but we already have a bit of an emergency at hand.”

The formerly relaxed atmosphere vanished and was instantly replaced with a palpable tension. Why was there already a reason to take action? And more importantly, against who?

“I’ve recently discovered an article on the internet. Someone interviewed a bunch of you guys and gathered information on the various scientists involved,” Leo spoke in an unusually serious tone as he shared his concerns.

“That must have been Lonnie’s article. He’s been asking a bunch of questions on what we remember from the experiment,” Lucky answered in a rather causal way, his expression clearly unconcerned.

“That is not the issue. One of the names the article mentioned stuck out to me. Prof. Johannes von Kaiser, lead scientist and founder of the Neko experimentation program,” Leo paused for a moment as he saw everyone’s concerned expression. “I have reasons to believe that von Kaiser is still alive. The report listing the names of everyone that died during the experiment was missing one name. Johannes von Kaiser.”

A deathly silence began to fill the room, followed by an increasingly intense aura. Johannes von Kaiser may still be alive and that could mean a lot of things, none of them were good. Everyone present seemed gravely concerned by that fact.

“What do you propose?” you asked Leo, tearing trough the veil of silence.

“We don’t know where von Kaiser is currently located, should he still be alive. In case he is still alive, it stands to reason the he’s nearby. If that’s the case, we should be prepared for the worse. There are only few of us who possess any fighting expertise so I’d suggest traveling in groups. Always stay in contact with each other and should the need arise, notify someone who knows how to fight. And to those who can fight, try to teach the others. It’s likely that von Kaiser will try to capture us and he’ll probably hire people to help him,” Leo sounded almost like a general giving orders. His expression remained stern but concerned.

Another club member was about to ask a question, when another knock on the door captured everyone’s attention.

“I’ll get it,” you sighed as you stood up. There was a vague idea of who might be interrupting your assembly.

“____, are you sure,” Leo began but was cut off by a dismissive hand motion from you.

“Don’t worry. I think I know who it is,” you proceeded to the door, opening it slightly. It was exactly how you expected it to be.

“Here, this is a hand written letter from Ms. Dreemurr. It allows me to join your club, whether you like it or not,” it was the same girl from earlier, handing you a letter with a mocking expression.

You simply took the letter and began reading trough it. It simply stated that this student is allowed to join the club and participate in the associated club activities, signed by Toriel.

“Hold on one second, OK? I just need to check something,” you politely told her to stay patient.

“Ugh, what is it now? Isn’t that letter prove enough? Just let me in already!” the girl began to grow irritated, especially after you simply closed the door again.

“That girl again?” Lucky asked, looking just as annoyed you were.

“Yeah, said she had a letter from Toriel that allows her to join. I’ll just double check that real quick,” you answered as you pulled out your phone.

“How can you check that?” Lucky seemed surprised but you didn’t answer since you were busy typing on your phone.

 

_Hey Asriel, I need your help with something real quick._

  
_Sure, what is it?_

 

You snapped a picture of the supposed letter and send it to Asriel

 

_Some girl claims this letter was written by Toriel. Can you confirm?_

 

There was a moment of silence. Asriel was probably comparing the handwriting of the letter to his mother’s.

 

 

 

  
_Nope, that’s not mom’s hand and the signature is a very poor fake. Also, mom uses actual letter paper with the family crest on it. This one’s simple writing paper, like students use for their notes._

 

_Thanks._

 

You placed your phone back in your pocked and opened the door again, shoving the letter directly in the girls face. “Nice try but the latter is forged.”

“Excuse me? This is an official letter by the headmistress herself,” she insisted on the validity of her letter.

“I share a room with her son. I texted him and he confirmed that your letter is, in fact, forged,” you looked at her with a dead serious expression. “Now, how about you go back to wherever you came from and we’ll forget about this. Alternatively, I could tell Toriel about how you tried to forge her signature.”

Caught red-handed, the girl finally decided to leave. Hopefully for good.

You closed the door again, and were faced with a small army of Nekos staring at you.

“Hold on, you’re sharing a room with prince Asriel?” Chloe, out of all people, asked you in disbelief.

“Yeah, I am,” you replied as you sat down by the table again.

“That’s so cool. What’s it like living with him?” Chloe seemed quite interested in your life with Asriel.

“It’s alright though he can be a bit of a pain every now and then,” you leaned back in your chair as you gave them your answer.

“Didn’t expect you to be this close already,” Lucky jumped in, chuckling at, in his eyes, clever response.

“You and Asriel would get along perfectly. He’s making jokes like that all the time,” you sighed in disbelief as you shook your head slightly.

“Enough about that. We have a potential emergency at our hand,” Leo growled in a stern tone, trying to get everyone’s attention back on topic.

“What else is there to talk about? Stay in groups, stay in contact and call for help if some tries to do some shady business,” someone, whose name you didn’t know yet, said.

“Hmph, fine,” Leo seemed rather displeased. There were things he though were worth mentioning but it seemed as if most club members weren’t interested. “At least make sure you exchange numbers, maybe even create a group chat. And no word to your roommates unless their directly involved. What we talk about here is confidential, we don’t need anyone else snooping around.”

With that out of the way, most Nekos began to get up from their seat and move to somewhere else in the room. The formerly tense atmosphere began to vanish and soon everyone was talking about all sorts of things. Some introduced themselves to one another while others were catching up on things.

“So, how have things been going for you?” Felix asked, as he sat down next to you.

“Things started out a little rough, but everything’s looking alright now,” you casually replied. “How about you?”

“Things could be better, could be worse. I’m quite happy with how things look right now,” he seemed content with his current situation. “Say, I’ve heard you actually attacked your social worker. Is there anything to that rumor?”

“Yeah, I did attack my previous social worker. He had it coming though. He’s been treating me like I’m some sort of worthless animal. That guy even had the audacity to pull my tail. I kinda snapped and attacked him. Court ruled I acted in self defense, so I got off scot-free,” you explained what the truth behind the rumor was.

“Ouch, sorry to hear that,” Felix, being the way he is, remained concerned. Some things never seem to change. “Hey, I’ve been wondering if...”

“Hey ____,” Chloe decided to jump in on the conversation, promptly cutting off Felix mid sentence. “Are you really living with the prince?”

“Yeah, I do. Why?” you asked her, fearing for another series of stupid questions.

“Does he have his own luxury dorm? Better beds? Room service?” she began to ask, what was probably the silliest set of questions you’ve heard yet.

“Nope. He’s living in the same type of room as everyone else,” your rather boring answer seem to have disappointed her. “Why do you ask? As far as I know boys and girls aren’t allowed to share rooms.”

“Just curious. Out of everyone here you probably had it the worst. I think you deserve some comfort after all that happened,” she said in a worried tone.

“Stop it with this hierarchy nonsense. We’ve all been trough hell. Saying one had it worse than the other and therefore deserves more will only end up dividing us,” you scolded her, infuriated by the notion of some sort ‘victim hierarchy.’

“I… you’re right. You, Felix, everyone else. We’re all family, the only family we’ll ever have. We should stick together,” Chloe seemed almost ashamed by her initial suggestion but now looked at you with newfound resolve.

“Now THAT’S what I want to hear,” Leo walked up from behind her, giving Chloe a friendly pat on her back. “As long as we stick together, nothing can stop us. And if something tries, then we’ll show what a clowder of angry Nekos can do.”

“A clowder of Nekos? We’re more of pride, if you ask me,” you joked, drawing a chuckle out of Leo.

“Alright everyone, can I have your attention for just another moment?” Leo called out to everyone in the room, drawing their attention. “Before we end this meeting and go back to our dorms, there’s one thing I’d like to tell all of you. We are a family so if everyone has troubles, no matter how small, tell us and we’ll do our best to help you out. We stick together no matter what, come hell or high water.”

With those final words from Leo, everyone returned to their dorm in high spirits, knowing full well that they have people to rely on. You too were about to leave but Leo pulled you aside.

“Can I have a few words with you? Don’t worry, nothing too serious,” he seemed deeply concerned, though you could understand why. Given the current situation, you might come face to face with your tormentor at some point.

“I need your help. We don’t know where von Kaiser is but we need to be prepared in case he shows up with some new, demented plan. So, I’d like to ask you to help me train the others. Teach them what you were taught back during the project. If more of us know how to defend themselves we’ll be much safer.”

“Sure, I’ll help you,” you happily agreed, seeing the urgency behind Leo’s request. He had a point. If more of you know about self defense, the less likely it will be someone gets captured or worse, should von Kaiser make a move.

“Thanks, I knew I could count on you,” Leo seemed relieved that you agreed to help him, his formerly tense expression easing visibly. “And before I forget. Remember when I said that everything we talked about in the club is confidential? Seeing that you and Asriel seem to get along quite well with each other, you may tell him about what’s going on. He might be able to help us, or at least pull some strings for us. But only do so if it’s absolutely necessary, everything else would draw in unwanted attention.”

“Got it, see you around,” you gave Leo a firm handshake.

“See ya,” he said his goodbyes and you returned to your dorm, where Asriel was already waiting.

“And, what was it like seeing everyone again? Talked about anything special? Any activities or other things planed?” he immediately began bombarding you with questions.

“It was nice seeing some familiar faces though we still have a lot to catch up to,” you answered with a content smile.

“So, what did you talk about? I’m would love to know what you were talking about,” Asriel tried to get more information out of you, which was nothing new.

“Sorry but I’m not allowed to tell you, at least not under current circumstances,” you responded, denying his request for answers.

“Oh, is it a surprise for me? When can you tell me?” he was getting quite excited, almost like a child on Christmas eve.

“Let’s just hope it never gets to a point where I have to,” you replied in a more serious and concerned manner, hoping it would stall Asriel’s curiosity.

“Oh, OK then,” he dropped the topic, looking disappointed.

Johannes von Kaiser may be still alive. That adds another thing to, what seemed like an ever growing list of troubles. It also gave you even more responsibilities. You hoped that von Kaiser was actually dead and if not, that he at least wouldn't plan something crazy. The last thing you need is the same insane scientist continuing where he left off.


	19. Stomachache

The days that followed after the first Neko club meeting remained uneventful, though everyone involved seemed on edge. Everyone appeared a little more jumpy, a little more cautious. Some might even call them paranoid. Even you felt a constant increasingly stronger sense of uncertainty and danger, as if someone was looming around the corner, ready to snatch you. The constant state of stress left you visibly agitated, tail puffed up as your ears were constantly shifting in an attempt to pick up as much information as possible. 

You were currently in one of the various practice rooms, training yourself in the arts of magic. With practice and patience you slowly began to grasp the basics of magic and managed to manifest your knowledge in form of a small cube of condensed magic. There was still a long way to go before you could wield magic in a way most other humans do and it would probably take you a life time until you can use it the way the great mages did in the past. Not that, that would pose a problem. Time has no affect on you.

“Damn it,” you cursed, frustrated by yet another failed attempt to summon anything more than a small cube of magic. If it wasn’t for the fact that your magic would dissipate so quickly, you and everyone around you would probably be drowning in a sea of magic cubes right now.

Once again you focused until you felt a tingling sensation in your fingertips. The sensation grew stronger and stronger by the second, but you kept focusing, shaping the arcane energy in your head. You envisioned a small sphere and shot your arm forward. To your own surprised a small sphere lobbed forward, bouncing over the floor a few times before vanishing.

A strong feeling of success began to rush through you, boosting your motivation. You repeated the process a few more times, each and every time creating a sphere that jumped farther and farther. It was a small success but it showed you the almost endless possibilities on how magic could be applied.

“There you are,” a voice from behind you nearly caused you to jump out of your skin. Just as you were ready to lunge at the person that nearly scared the living daylights out of you, you realized that it was just Asriel.

“Is everything alright? You’ve been acting quite different ever since you’ve been to that club,” Asriel showed himself as concerned as always, probably in an attempt to gather more information on the Neko club.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just haven’t been sleeping properly lately,” you lied, hoping it would cause him to drop the topic. If possible, you want to keep him out of your business.

“I see you're making progress,” he commented, probably about your magic practice.

“Yeah. I think I’m slowly getting the hang of it,” you responded as you focused once again. This time you began to envision something more dangerous, something you could use as an alternate way to defend yourself. As you once again shot your arm forward, you released a pointy, needle like object. It whizzed through the air in an almost perfectly straight line before hitting the target at the end of the room.

“Slowly? You’re learning how to use magic quicker the rest of class,” Asriel was quite impressed by your, in his opinion, quick progress.

“You think so?” you asked as you shot another needle forward. 

“I do. Just a few weeks ago you were struggling to summon anything and now look at you go,” he continued to praise you for you quick advancement in terms of magic. “Anyway, how about you take a break? You’ve been here for the last three hours.”

You lowered your arms and sighed. “Yeah, I guess your right.”

There were plenty of reasons against taking a break but collapsing from exhaustion wouldn't be helpful either.

“Great. How about we go eat out? I heard there’s a new restaurant that opened in the city a few days ago,” Of course Asriel had to blow everything out of proportion and suggest a fancy restaurant when a simple pizza would have done just as good of a job.

“Are you sure? I mean, a restaurant?” you questioned him, not really feeling up for the entire ‘high society’ life.

Asriel raised an eyebrow at your statement. Something about it seemed to have him confused. “What do you mean? It’s a simple restaurant meant for students. Nothing too fancy. Just good, affordable food that isn’t just pizza and instant-noodles.” 

“Sounds good, lead the way,” you agreed to his proposal, seeing that he’d most likely continue to ask if you said no.

“Great!” Asriel happily exclaimed as he clapped his hands together. “Follow me.”

So you once more departed for the city, leaving the gates to the college grounds behind. This time your journey led you to a completely different part of town, where the Victorian charm slowly transitioned to a more modern scenery. No longer were you walking on cobblestones, but rather a proper pavement. The vintage lanterns slowly turned into modern ones and even the surrounding buildings look more and more modern. 

“… I mean, how can someone make so many puns in a so little time? It’s like he has a chronic condition that will kill him if he doesn’t make a stupid pun at least once every thirty minutes. It’s probably all the ketchup that has been rotting away his brain, if he has one to begin with. Not only is he an idiot, he’s also a ketchupaholic… Ketchupoholic? Ketchupic? You get what I mean, right?” Once again Asriel furiously ranted about all the stuff that was bothering him. Mainly a certain skeleton he doesn’t seem to get along with at all.

“Looks like you just goat to deal with his jokes, it’s not like he’s your stepdad,” you responded, sneaking in a pun so bad that it’s probably illegal in at least one country.

“You have to be kitten me,” Asriel sighed in what seemed to be displeasure, even though he tried to sneak in an equally bad pun himself. “But I guess you’re right, I hardly ever see him. But please don’t make think about him being my stepdad, that’d be a living nightmare.”

By the time you arrived at the restaurant, the scenery has completely changed. Everything looked new and modern, like a wealthy neighborhood. The lovely charm of the district you came from was gone and replaced with a cold and sterile aura. 

“Are you sure this is the place?” the complete change of scenery left you wondering whether you were still on track or ended up somewhere entirely else. Even the supposed restaurant looked lackluster, as if it had no personality at all.

“Yep, this is the place,” Asriel chirped as he confirmed your assumption. “Let’s get inside.”

You entered the restaurant and you’re already low expectations were disappointed even further. The interior was much like the exterior. Bleak, boring and with so little personality you’d probably forget about this place the moment you would leave it. The inside of the restaurant look so generic and run of the mill you could probably find a similar looking place in every city on the planet. The only thing that created a semblance of atmosphere was the guy that was brutally assaulting his violin and called the resulting acoustic assault music. If the food is as bland as this place you might as well eat cardboard.

“So, what do you think about this place?” Asriel looked at you in curiosity. He seemed almost impressed by this place, which you simply could not understand.

“I’ve met rocks with more personality than this place,” you blatant answer made it very clear that you were thoroughly unimpressed, disappointed even.

“The food’s supposed to be good,” Asriel tried to sound enthusiastic, hoping it would rub off on you, even if only slightly.

“We’ll see about that, won’t we,” you remained underwhelmed and began looking for a table to sit by.

Once you found a place and sat down you were quickly handed the menu. It wasn’t much different from the one over by the arcade’s diner. The prices were a little cheaper but the only real indicator whether this place is cheaper or not will be the size of the portions.

“So, already have an idea what you’re going to take?” Asriel inquired once he finished reading through the menu.

“Chicken with fries doesn’t sound that bad,” you replied as you put the menu down.

“Sounds great,” Asriel seemed as cheerful as always, at least whenever he was around you. “I guess I’ll take the spaghetti with cream sauce.” 

Once you orders were placed, you continued to chat about whatever topic came up.

“Hey, I totally forgot to tell you. While you were busy practicing magic, Mom send me a message. We’re getting a new professor at our college. He’ll be focusing on stuff like biology, chemistry and math,” Asriel seemed almost excited while you were thoroughly unimpressed, maybe even a little worried. Perhaps you should tell Leo about it.

“That sounds cool. Did she tell you his name?” you presented yourself as excited in hopes of getting more information out of Asriel.

He took a moment to carefully think whether his mother gave a name or not, only to come to the realization that he can just check his phone. After a quick look, he spoke up again. “Yeah, she did. Eckhart Liogan, that’s his name.”

You fell completely silent once you heard that name. It was completely different from what you expected. Maybe you’re simply too paranoid. A new professor doesn’t have to mean anything, especially not the return of von Kaiser. You were still going to remain cautious.

“Say, that skeleton you mention earlier. Is he really that bad?” you tried to change the topic and took the conversation back to a previous point.

“Ugh, don’t get me started. I hate that guy and he hates me. He still thinks I’m dangerous after all that crap that happened. The fact that I’m not on speaking terms with Frisk doesn’t make things any easier,” Asriel let out a long sight, clearly tired of all the stuff that he seems to be going through. “What’s even worse, Frisk is the one he should be hating. They reset everything over and over again, even after everyone had their happy end. What I did was different, I just… Everything I did was because of the circumstances I was in. I didn’t want to do what I did and it still haunts me every single day. Sans still treats me like I’m a psychopath ready to wipe out all life on earth. And Frisk, they reset over and over again with no regrets and everyone still loves them. I’m so sick of it...”

Asriel began delving into a more personal topic but the food arrived before he could go even deeper, and it looked mediocre at best. The portions were about the same size they were over at the arcade, which made this place slightly cheaper.

While your chicken looked good on the outside, Asriel’s spaghetti looked disastrous. The spaghetti were lovelessly thrown on the plate and the sauce looked like someone had a little too much ‘me time’. Asriel didn’t seem to be happy with the food at all, if one can call that food. Nonetheless, he tried it and regretted it immediately.

“Is it really that bad?” you asked in a rather worried tone, though your question was more rhetorical in nature. Just by looking at his face you knew that the spaghetti were so bad that no even pigs would eat them.

“These are the worst spaghetti I’ve ever eaten. Just calling them spaghetti is an insult to every pasta dish that was, is and will be. It’s way overcooked to a point is just mush. Even the sauce is overcooked,” Asriel began ranting at the seemingly terribly food.

“Mind if I have a taste?” you hesitantly asked, hoping that it wouldn’t be as bad as Asriel made it out to be. The cook wouldn’t allow the food to be that bad… hopefully.

“Sure, go ahead,” Asriel happily obliged, which worried you. Was he trying to pull off something again? Just to make sure, you used your own fork and tried the spaghetti. 

You initial response was bored since there was absolutely no taste whatsoever, the fact that the sauce didn’t stick to the noodles didn’t help either. Whoever cooked them clearly though it would be a good idea to douse the spaghetti with water after they were done overcooking. Then the sauce, or rather what little was present, kicked in and you nearly gagged. Even the food during the entire experiment was better that whatever this repulsive stuff was.

“You’re right. It’s simply disgusting and to add insult to injury, they demand money for it. Whoever idiot cooked this would have to pay me for eating it, though I doubt they have that much money judging by the poor job they’re doing,” you sounded immensely dissatisfied and upset. 

“How’s your food?” Asriel asked with curiosity. He clearly hoped that yours wasn’t as bad as his.

“Only one way to find out,” you responded and grabbed your knife and fork, keeping your expectations slightly below ‘potentially poisonous”.

As you began cutting your chicken filet, you noticed something weird. Just pushing the fork into the meat gave you a very weird resistance chicken shouldn’t have but you still began cutting away. Once you cut off a small piece, you witnessed what could’ve ended up as a murder scene. The chicken was still raw inside. 

Your expression shifted into sheer anger and disgust as you dropped the fork on the plate. “That’s it. I’m going to talk to whoever is responsible for this.”

“____! WAIT!” Asriel shouted after you, worried that you might fillet one of the cooks, but you were already storming towards the kitchen with your plate in hand. He had no other choice but to follow you.

“Excuse me sir, but you are not allowed to enter the kitchen,” An employee politely requested.

“Zip it. I’m not just going to accept this insult you’re serving here,” you simply pushed past the waiter and kicked the kitchen doors open, drawing in everyone’s attention. “Alright, who is the incompetent buffoon responsible for this!”

“Hello human, are you here to compliment me on my cooking?” a skeleton approached you, and it seemed quite sure of itself.

“Yes, I’m here to compliment you. I’m here to compliment you for not having killed someone yet! Did you cook this disgusting mess?” you immediately began tearing into the so called cook in front of you.

“Yes, I did. Medium-rare, just the way it’s supposed to be,” the skeletal figure proudly exclaimed, almost as if it accomplished something noteworthy.

You were slowly starting to see red. How can someone this be this dense?

“There are two things wrong with that. First off, this steak is not medium-rare, it’s blue, so blue I can hear it sing. Second, YOU COOK CHICKEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH! Have you never heard of salmonella? You could have killed someone,” you began to mercilessly chew the skeleton out. 

Just as you were about to continue verbally ripping the so called cook apart, Asriel entered the kitchen with a terrified expression.

“Hey. Uhm, please excuse ____ behavior. He can be a little rash when he gets angry,” He tried to make up excuses for you hoping it would deescalate the situation, but only ended up making things worse.

“Angry? I’m not angry. I’m goddamn LIVID! Serving raw chicken, just what were you thinking? And the spaghetti? The poor, pitiful insult you dare call food? You should be in jail for demanding money for this,” your verbal assault continued and you completely disregarded the stares of others as well as the approaching manager.

“Excuse me, is there a problem?” the manager, a seemingly polite young woman, asked, while more dished began to return to the kitchen.

“Yes, there is. A lot to be exact,” you turned towards her with a furious gleam in your eyes. “This bonehead of a cook though it was a good idea to serve what is basically raw chicken.”

The manager took a very close look at the chicken, which was ridiculous. Even the old lady from a few weeks ago should be able so see just how under cooked that chicken is. After a careful investigation, the manager spoke up again. “I’m very sorry for this inconvenience. We’ll of course provide you with a new, correctly cooked filet.”

“That’s not all. Asriel, get the spaghetti they served you,” you spoke in a demanding, almost commanding tone, causing Asriel to rush back to the table and grab his plate.

Once Asriel returned you took the plate from him and nearly shoved it into the managers face with an angry expression. The manager looked shocked but you were just getting started and promptly began ranting. “Look at this! Look at this sad pile of brutally abused food. Calling this spaghetti is an insult to every half decent pasta dish out there. How dare you, as the manger, allow this crap to leave the kitchen?”

“I sorry that the pasta isn’t to your liking. I can assure you that our cooks try their hardest too…” the manager began to make up excuses but she fell silent the moment she noticed the drastic shift in your expression. You looked like you were about to turn her into minced meat and serve her for lunch.

“Taste it,” you growled at her in a menacing tone.

She hesitantly grabbed a fork and taste tested the dish you and Asriel were presented. Her reaction was predictable and her face shifted into disgust.

“Disgusting, isn’t it?” you spoke in an almost mocking voice. “Just what is in that sauce?”

“Only the best ingredients, prepared by a master chef,” the way too overconfident skeleton cook from earlier decided to jump in on the conversation, boasting on his professionally unprofessional skills.

You didn’t pay him any more attention that he deserved, which was none, and began to carefully scan the kitchen. The entire place looked like multiple tornadoes ravaged everything and just for good measure, someone decided to nuke it afterwards. Organization was just a myth people were whispering about in the darkest corner the kitchen, while mass-produced food was simply thrown microwave. 

Among the entire madness, you managed to spot the cream sauce Asriel was served. A close look at the ingredients revealed that the entire thing was completely made out of chemicals, with the closest thing to a biological ingredient being milk powder. The sauce was chugged full with preservatives, anti oxidants, and flavor enhancers. There were maybe one or two ingredients that didn’t contain chemical additives.

“Artificial food coloring, guar gum, monosodium glutamate. This is a kitchen and not some chemistry lab in your trailer. Even I’m less artificial than this food” You were utterly disgusted by pretty much everything in the kitchen and the drastic shift in your expression made that quite obvious. This might be supposed to be a restaurant for students, but that doesn’t excuse the utter lack of quality.

“I sincerely apologize that our food doesn’t meet your quality standards,” the manager remained remarkably calm and once again tried to apologize for the incompetence of her team.

“MY standards?” you were shocked by the managers audacity to imply they had any standards to begin with. “This restaurant, if you can call it like that, doesn’t meet anyone’s standards! I could go to a generic fast food chain that drowns everything in frying oil and still get better food out of it.” despite the manager’s best efforts to calm you down, you remained furious and stomped out of the restaurant.

“____, wait!” Asriel began running after you, wanting to fix the mess you ended up in. By the time he finally caught up with you, you were already outside. “I’m so sorry that things turned out the way they did. I never expected things to be this bad.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know just how terrible this place is,” you more or less calmly responded. While you were definitely upset about what happened, you knew that it wasn’t Asriel’s fault. “Let’s just go back to the college and forget this ever happened.”

“Good idea,” Asriel nodded in agreement and so you returned to your dorm.

As you were walking back to the college, not a single word was spoken. The air around you felt heavy from all the silence and it seemed as if Asriel felt deeply ashamed for inviting you to that cheapskate restaurant. 

And so the scenery began to slowly change again. The lovely charm of a Victorian city returned, and while the ground did become more and more uneven, you didn’t mind it one bit. 

It was only when you where halfway back at the college when Asriel spoke up again. “Do you have any plans later? I think it’s about time I tell you something. I already mentioned it earlier today but then the food came and you know what happened after that,” he sounded like he was having serious stomachache, though it could come from the food you were served earlier.

“Don’t we have practice later today?” you responded, unsure whether you actually had practice today. “Doesn’t matter. Even if we do, you can still tell me what you want to talk about after that.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” just knowing that you’d listen to him seems to have eased the burden Asriel is carrying.

The remaining walk felt much easier. The air was no longer heavy but it still held a certain sense of anger. Whatever it is that Asriel want’s to talk about, it must be something that has him bothered for lord knows how long.

By the time you arrived back at your dorm, the sun was already beginning to slowly disappear behind the horizon, igniting the sky in fiery colors. But there was no time to admire the scene. 

Asriel unlocked the door to your dorm and walked inside, closing the door once you were inside the room. After he locked the door he moved over to his bed, shoulders hanging low and ears falling forward.

“So, what I wanted to talk to you about,” he began, only to take a deep breath before starting. “I decided that I should tell you a little more about my past.”

You were surprised by Asriel’s sudden decision but decided not to say anything and simply nodded instead. As terrible as it sounds, what he’s about to tell you might give you some insight on your past.

“Where do I begin… You see, I used to be a very lonely child back when I grew up in the underground. There weren’t that many children my age that lived around the area, so I spent most of my time by myself, drawing pictures, daydreaming and such. One day, when I was talking a walk around the underground, I heard someone crying. I rushed over there and found a human lying in the flowers. That’s when I met Chara and if I had known all the trouble they would have brought me, I would have left them there to die,” Asriel began telling you about his past and his expression seemed almost pained. It was clear that all those memories cause a lot of conflict inside of him.

Asriel took another deep breath and continued. “Me, being that stupid, lonely child that I was, decided to take them home. Mom nursed them back to health and we took them in. Everything looked great at first. I finally was no longer alone. I had someone to talk to and to play with. Back then I didn’t realize just how much of a bad person Chara was. They were almost abusive, constantly calling me a crybaby, blaming me for stuff they did, making me doubt myself. They made me think the only way for me to be happy would be by making them happy.”

He paused again and his head began sinking even lower, his gaze fixed to the floor. Those memories he’s sharing with you must be quite painful to him.

“Then, one day, we almost killed dad. While mom and dad were out for royal business, Chara and I decided to surprise them with a cake when they come back. Neither of us could really decipher the recipe since it was that old and instead of cups of butter we ended up using buttercups. Those flowers might look innocent but their really poisonous. We poisoned my father and while I was bawling my eyes out, Chara simply laughed it off, calling me crybaby in the process. Things got even worse from here,” Asriel began sobbing and tears started to fall from his eyes.

“I was so caught in their web of lies and deception that I felt like I couldn’t live without them. One day they proposed a plan and promised it would free all monsters if it’s successful. A few months before all that they told me that they hated humanity. I should have made the connection, I should have seen that I was nothing but a means to an end to them. But I didn’t and so we proceeded with their plan. They would eat buttercups, I would take their soul and carry their body to the flowerbed in the village they used to live in. Once we arrived, they urged me to kill every single villager I encountered, but I didn’t. They began calling me a coward, a traitor. I simply returned to the underground, with their body still in my arms,” you could see how Asriel’s body began shaking slightly. 

“I died. Their stupid plan got me killed. Not that they cared, I was just a pawn to them. Everything that happened after that, I… I can’t. I’ll tell you another time,” Asriel seemed immensely distraught by simply retelling part of his story. Is that what he has to go through every time the timeline is reset?

You felt terrible just from listening to his story. What he had to go through seemed a billion times worse than what you have been through, and it seemed as if he only told you the beginning. 

The remaining day felt weird. Asriel remained unresponsive for the rest of the day, which made you feel even worse. Maybe it’s the way you’ve been conditioned that make you feel like that or maybe you actually starting to see Asriel as a real friend. Either way, you wanted to help him, you wanted to cheer him up but seeing him like that made you feel helpless. You could only hope that he would be back to normal tomorrow, or at least feel slightly better.


	20. Ace Of Hearts

You were currently on your way to the next Neko club meeting. Asriel seemed to have recovered from his previously disheartened mood and was pretty much back to his old self. Those things he shared with you a few days ago, they kept you awake for longer that you wanted to admit. You could hardly imagine all the stuff he had to go through and there was still a lot he hasn’t told you yet. It made you wonder whether knowing what happened to your past self was really worth it or not. Maybe it would be for the best if you simply dropped the topic.

Your small trip through the colorfully decorated hallways ended at the most bleak looking door of them all. The exterior of the Neko club looked as boring and empty as ever. It was supposed to be that way so it wouldn’t draw in unwanted attention, but the lack of decoration made it stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe it’s about time for the club to settle on some decorations to help disguise the club. With that in mind, you knocked on the door and were promptly met with Felix’s face.

“Hey ____, how have you been?” he greeted you with the same caring smile you’ve seen so many times before.

“I’ve been doing fine, though I was kind of busy lately,” you casually responded as you entered the room. “I did manage to pick up some information that could turn out to be important.”

“Well, you better take that straight to Leo then. Talk to you later,” he gave you the smile with the slightly tilted head that gave most other students weak knees. 

Felix grew quite popular lately, though you could perfectly see why. Most people would refer to him as cute thanks to his looks and personality and they were right, for the most parts. He’s much more that meets the eye and can quite easily use his charm in his favor. And you knew from personal experience that he has no qualms about expressing his affection and if it wasn’t for the fact that everyone believed you’re dating Asriel he’d probably be all over you. You felt almost sorry for whoever was going to end up having him as their boyfriend. He might seem innocent at first, but he can be quite demanding if he really wants something.

You walked over to Leo, who currently seemed to be consoling Lilly again. It seemed as if other students once again decided to pick on her since she looked like she’s been crying for the past minutes. You were almost about to turn around and talk to someone else, seeing that Leo was obviously busy, but he saw you and motioned for you to come closer. Although reluctant, you decided to step closer.

“See Lilly, this is ____. He might not look like it, but he’s among the strongest, if not THE strongest of us. If there’s anyone picking on you, don’t be afraid to call him. He’ll help you in no time, right ____?” Leo was speaking in an unfamiliar soothing voice, proving even further that he’s nowhere near as dangerous as he seems to be. He did put you in a rather unpleasant situation by assuring Lilly that you’d help her. He was right, but putting you in this situation was still rather rude of him.

“Yeah, that’s right. If anyone ever decided to pick on you again, let me know and I’ll deal with it. I promise,” you replied in a calming matter as you knelt down, holding out your hand.

“Thanks,” Lilly’s voice sounded almost like a whisper as she looked at you from between her silvery hair. She took your hand in hers and shook it slightly before quickly retracting again, staring off to the side. “But what are you going to do to them? They might be bad people but that doesn’t mean I want to see them hurt.”

“I’ll make sure they get expelled. This place has a zero tolerance policy against the bullying of Nekos in place and on top of that, I’m friends with the headmistress son. If those bullies keep doing what they’re doing, they’ll get what they deserve,” you kept your calming voice, hoping you wouldn’t end up scaring Lily.

With Leo’s and your reassurance, Lily began to visibly ease up and almost began smiling again.

“We got your back Lily, never forget that,” Leo further reassured her as he gave her a friendly pat the back, further bolstering her resolve.

Leo was about to return to the others, but you quickly pulled him towards a more secluded part of the room. While this did draw in the attention of some club members, you didn’t want to spread unconfirmed information that could cause panic among everyone.

“Sorry for pulling you aside like that, but I have some information I need to share with you. It could be a lead to von Kaiser,” you instantly switched back to a more serious nature, further drawing in Leo’s attention. “We’re going to have a new professor join the college. His name is Eckhart Liogan.”

Leo looked at you with a questioning expression. “And you suspect him to be von Kaiser?”

“I don’t have any concrete proof, or any proof at all, but something tells me he might be related to him in some way,” despite having no proof, you sounded rather sure about your assumption.

“____, I get. We’re all a bit on edge but don’t you think you’re being a little bit rash? It’s just a new professor. I think you’re simply jumping to conclusions. There’s no way von Kaiser would make himself this obvious,” Leo didn’t seem worried at all and he was probably right. If von Kaiser would make himself this obvious this soon, he’d be dead before he could make a name for himself around the college.

You sighed deeply and shook your head, hoping you could simply shake off your paranoia. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Leo! ____! Stop flirting with each other and get over here, we’re about to play a round of poker,” Lucky called from across the room, brandishing a deck of cards and a small bag filled with plastic chips.

You and Leo simply shrugged and joined the others by the table, the others being Lucky, Felix, Chloe and a stranger, dressed in a suit paired with white gloves. The remaining club was busy doing something else, some talking about Anime while others were keeping themselves busy in other ways.

“Game of the day is simple, classic poker. No wildcards. Oh, and ____, let me introduce you to Alister. He’s been a good friend of me during the experiment. He’ll be our dealer for today,” Lucky gave a quick rundown and introduced you to his friend.

“So you are ____, I’ve already heard about you. Only good things, I assure you. As Lucky already said, I am Alister. It’s pleasure to meet you,” the rather sophisticated Neko held out his hand and introduced himself.

“Likewise,” you answered with a firm handshake.

“I assume you all know the rules? Good,” Lucky simply assumed everyone was familiar with the rules of poker and placed his bag of plastic chips on the table. “Alright, chips come in five colors. Green, blue, red, purple and black. Green ones are the least, black the most valuable. Chips will be equally split between the players. Whoever runs out of chips is out. Last player standing wins.

While Alister was busy shuffling the deck, Lucky began to hand everyone their chips. Judging by his technique, Alister has done this numerous times before. The way the cards flew back and forth between his hands almost made him look like a magician. From forming arcs of cards to cards, cascading down from one hand to the other. He showed off every trick he had up his sleeve. Once the cards were shuffled thoroughly, everyone had to throw their ante of 2 green chips into the pot. Shortly after, the cards were dealt.

You picked up your cards and felt fairly confident but tried to your expression as neutral as possible. Three sevens, queen of clubs, three of diamonds, this should put you in a favorable position. With your own cards checked, you decided to scan the expressions of your opponents. Leo’s and Chloe’s expression remained neutral. Felix looked rather annoyed, probably due to being dealt an unlucky hand. Lucky seemed almost overconfident and promptly threw in five of his blue chips, causing Felix to fold. Leo raised, throwing in an additional blue chip. You called and Chloe decided to fold.

With the first betting round behind you, it was time to discard undesired cards and hope for the best. Lucky kept his hand and Leo discarded two of his cards. You discarded your queen of clubs and hoped for the best, only to be met with the queen of spades instead. 

You were still sitting at your three sevens, which wasn’t bad but also not that good. Not wanting to risk too much this early, you decided to open the round with two blue chips. Leo and Lucky called and the showdown approached.

“Now I’m going to show you why people call me Lucky,” Lucky pridefully boasted, seemingly forgetting that pride comes before the fall.

“The scientist that created you probably predicted that you’ll never get lucky, so they decided to call you Lucky just to mock you,” Leo decided to use the opportunity to dish out against Lucky, all as a gesture of friendly banter.

“And let me guess, they call you Leo because you last as long as lions do?” Chloe jumped in, directly attacking the lions pride.

“Come on now Chloe, we all know you’re salty because your courtship dance hasn’t attracted any mates yet. And they probably won’t anytime soon either” you finished the round of friendly banter with a playful jab towards Chloe.

It was time to show your cards and hope for the best. Leo could only bring a single pair to the table, while you and Lucky both had three of a kind. It seems as if Lucky was indeed lucky today, seeing that he had three eights, beating your three sevens.

“Told you I’d be lucky. They call me lucky Lucky for a reason you know,” he decided to show off a little again, complete with a small victory dance.

Chloe simply began laughing at his silly behavior. “Lucky Lucky, are you serious?” she tried to contain her laughter by covering her mouth, but that quickly turned her face into a tomato.

“I’ve never heard anyone call you that,” Leo seemed rather amused too, which was quite rare thanks to his usually serious attitude.

“Really? People used to call me like that all the time, right Alister?” Lucky, unwilling to accept this minor defeat, turned towards Alister for confirmation.

“I cannot, in good conscience, lie to the others. As much as I dislike it, I have to disagree with you. I do not recall anyone referring to you as ‘lucky Lucky’,” Alister politely shut down Lucky, which didn’t seem to please him at all.

“Seriously? You’re my friend. You’re supposed to back me up, not stab me in the back,” Lucky pouted, as he turned his back towards the table in mock offense.

“Lucky, May I ask you to return your attention to the game,” Alister kept his polite demeanor, making you wonder whether this was the kind if behavior that was forced upon him.

Lucky sat down again, with his expression back to normal and Alister dealt the next hand. This time, you seemed to have completely run out of luck. The cards you were dealt were completely useless and severely limited your options. You could either fold, bluff or pray to the gods of RNG for good luck.

Lucky seemed to feel lucky once again, and promptly decided to throw in seven of his remaining blue chips. Felix and Leo called and now it was your turn of action. You took the most risky route and raised by one red chip, which seemed to have intimidated Chloe a bit but she still called.

Once everyone discarded their undesired cards and received their new ones, Chloe immediately decided to back out and folded. Somehow you ended up with a single pair and decided to pull off an incredibly risky move. You raised by another two red chips. It seemed as if everyone fell for it, seeing that they all decided to fold. Just to taunt them a little, you revealed your cards once you reaped your rewards. 

“Damn it! I should have called your bluff,” Lucky seemed almost mad with himself, to which you simply responded with a sly grin.

The next hand was dealt and Lucky decided to immediately fold. Quite unusual of him. He must have been dealt some seriously bad cards. Leo’s expression remained cold and neutral, but he raised the bet tremendously by throwing his only black chip in the pot. What made the entire thing even more interesting was the fact that Felix decided to call. You took a very close look at your cards and determined that it simply wasn’t worth it. There was no way you could turn your current hand in your favor, seeing that you only had one pair. The risk was too high and so you decided to fold. All eyes were on Chloe now, who decided to raise the stakes even further. Moments later and the next showdown approached. Leo turned out victorious, revealing all four kings.

The game continued and chips were constantly changing owners. It was an almost perfect balance, where no one wanted to risk too much. Almost one hour in and everyone still had roughly the same amount of chips they started with. That was until Felix decided to go all in. His decision was met with wide eyes and great anticipation and the next showdown rapidly approached. No one had decided to fold during this round, causing the atmosphere to become even more tense to a point where it was almost electric. Everyone revealed their cards, and despite having a full house consisting of three jacks and two queens, Felix still lost to Chloe’s four of a kind. With no more chips, Felix was the first to be eliminated from the game.

“Alright guys, our club meeting is coming to an end. This round is all or nothing, winner takes all,” Leo announced, signaling the end of the game.

For one last time, Alister dealt the first set of cards that would determine who would emerge victorious. Everyone received their cards and yours looked rather promising. Ten, jack, queen and king, all of them hearts. It was risky, but seeing that everyone had to go all in, you decided that it was a risk worth taking. You decided to stake everything on the one card your were going to discard and hope for the ace of hearts. 

“How about we make this last showdown a little more exciting? Don’t flip over your new cards until the showdown. Keep them with their back facing up and flip them over once everyone revealed their current hand,” Lucky decided to propose his idea for a more exciting showdown and everyone seemed to be in agreement.

Everyone discarded their unwanted cards and was dealt new ones, which were kept in front of them. 

This was the moment, the final showdown. Everyone revealed their current card and placed them on the table. With only a single pair, Felix looked like he was out of luck unless he’d somehow end up with three of a kind. Leo seemed to have two pairs, which might even turn into a full house. Lucky was only one card away from a straight flush, much like you were.

“Alright, flip them over,” Lucky sounded like he knew he was going to win.

Felix was the first to flip his card and his odd of winning actually increased. He now had three of a kind, which meant nothing until the very end. Next was Leo, who remained at two pairs.

You and Lucky exchanged a heated glare. This was a showdown between you and him. Both of you knew that one would emerge victorious. He placed his index and middle finger on his card and flipped it over, revealing the one card he needed.

“Straight flush, baby. That’s lucky Lucky for you,” he sounded like he had already won and began collecting the various plastic chips but you simply picked up your own card and took a good look at it.

“Not so fast, Lucky,” you spoke in a calm and collected voice as you revealed your final card. “Royal flush.”

It seemed as if Lucky froze in place while you placed your ace of hearts on the table, finishing your royal flush.

“No… This, this can not be. HOW?” Lucky sounded so defeated that you almost felt bad for him. He once more proved that pride comes before the fall.

“Heart of cards and such,” you casually responded with some vague quote from an Anime you vaguely remember hearing some students talk about.

While Lucky was slowly accepting his defeat, you began to put the plastic chips back in the bag. This was your first time playing poker and you, through sheer luck, manage to win. Once the clean up was finished you handed the bag to Alister, since Lucky still seemed rather shaken.

“Congrats on winning ____,” Leo complimented you on your victory. 

“Thanks, though let’s be honest. The only reason I won was because luck was on my side,” you played down your achievement but appreciated Leo’s good sportsmanship nonetheless.

“That bluff you pulled off, that wasn’t luck that was skill. You tricked everyone into thinking you had the upper hand even though you had the worst hand of the round,” Chloe jumped in on the conversation and reminded you off your bluff from earlier.

“Yeah, that bluff was almost professional. Pair that with your poker face and you might be able to make big money,” even Felix seemed to be impressed with you, not that this was something difficult to accomplish.

“Well, guess we’ll call it a day here. See you next Saturday,” Leo ended today’s assembly with a smile plastered across his face.

You were halfway out of the door when someone tapped you on the shoulder, catching your attention. 

“Hey ____, where do you think you’re going? You still have a price to collect,” Lucky seemed to have recovered from his little breakdown and seemed to be holding something in his hand. “C’mon, give me your hand.

Lucky grabbed your open hand and placed something inside it. Whatever it was, it felt flat, cold and surprisingly heavy. He then closed your hand and gave it a small pat.

“Well then, I’ll be off. See you around,” and with that Lucky stormed off, waving you goodbye as he disappeared into one of the various hallways.

You were a little confused. No one ever said there would a price to win and Lucky seemed to be in a hurry after he handed you your reward. Curiosity slowly began to take over and you knew that could only mean terrible things. Curiosity killed the cat after all. Damn that cat killing mars rover. 

So you slowly opened your hand, revealing your price. It was as casino chip, identical in size to high value poker chips. The outer ring alternated between gold and silver while the middle part seemed to be made of platinum. That thing was even decorated with diamonds and rubies. Just where and how did he got that thing? Do you even want to know? What if he stole it?

“It seems as if the price Lucky gave you has you confused. Allow me to explain the meaning behind it,” Alister approached you and nearly scared the living daylights out of you in the process. 

Alister took the almost regal looking trinket from your hand and held it between his gloved fingers. “You see, before Lucky joined this college he’s been frequently visiting casinos all over the city. During that time he became quite nefarious for his seemingly never ending streak of luck, causing some casinos to nearly go bankrupt. This token you’re holding right now was given to him as a collective gift from the local casino owners. As expensive as this token might be, it was not meant to celebrate his luck. Quite the opposite to be exact. It turned into a symbol of disdain, a mark that branded him. He was no longer allowed in any of the local casinos.”

Alister returned the precious chip to you and gave you and almost melancholic look, followed by a deep sight. “I can only assume the reasons why he would give this token to the winner of his little game. He wanted to close this chapter of his life and so he gave away the one thing that served as a constant reminder.” 

For a moment, Alister simply stared off into the distance, completely absorbed into his own thought. “Ah. You have to excuse me, I did not intend to keep you. I do hope to see you the next time the club meets. Until then, I bid you farewell.” Alister left and you too, returned to your dorm.

The moment you opened the door, you were met with Asriel’s curious gaze.

“Welcome back ____. Did anything special today?” he was as intrigued by the club as always.

You simply shook your head in response. “Not really. Played a round of poker with a few of the other members.”

“Strip poker?” an impish grin began to spread across Asriel’s face. He just had to suggest that.

You simply shook your head in bewilderment, waited for a moment to gather your thoughts only to shake your head again. “WHAT?”

“Come on, don’t look at me like that. That’s a totally normal thing students do,” Asriel looked at you in innocence as he excused his suggestion.

“Maybe when you’re drunk on a party. Say, is that the reason you don’t drink? Did things become a little too embarrassing for you? Though knowing you, you’d probably try to loose if we were to play a game like that,” you once again referred to the little incident back during the first few days.

Asriel crossed his arms and turned away from you, pouting. “You win this round, ____.”

“Not only this one,” you responded in an almost singing voice as you placed your new possession between your index and thumb. “Take a look.”

Asriel turned around and, once he realized just what you were holding, nearly lunged at you, snatching the chip from your hand in the process.

“Where did you got that thing? It must be worth a fortune and a half,” Asriel was quite amazed by your price, his eyes shimmering like the diamonds placed on the chip. “Who did you kill to get that thing?”

“Nobody. Lucky gave it to me after I won the game. According to his friend Alister it’s a reminder of a darker chapter in Lucky’s life,” you replied as you took your chip from Asriel’s hand.

“Oh, I see. But if it’s such a grim reminder, why didn’t he just sell it? I mean, he would’ve gotten rid of that thing and made tons of money from it,” Asriel seemed a little oblivious as to why Lucky did what he did, not that you knew any better.

“I can only assume that the money he would have gotten out of that thing would be an even bigger reminder,” you carefully assumed.

“Then why didn’t he just throw that thing away? I mean, if it was such a grim reminder he should’ve thrown it away?” Asriel seemed just as clueless as you were. No matter how you spin it, Lucky’s action make no sense.

Whatever might be the case, for know you’d hold on to the expensive little trinket. Either to confront him about it, or make sure it still safe in case he wants it back. And if he doesn’t, you can still sell it for enough money to retire early.


	21. District Of Lights

The weekend ended just as quickly as it came and you were anxiously sitting in your chair as you waited for the new professor to show up, all the while glancing down on your phone to memorize von Kaiser’s face. More and more did you begin to feel like your world was about to go up in flames. Even Asriel’s more than obvious staring went completely unnoticed in your state of paranoia. It was only when he tapped you on your shoulder that you finally snapped out of your trance like state, nearly slashing him with your claws in the process.

Asriel simply sat there, stammering words as he looked like death missed him by the breadth of a hair. Just a tiny bit closer and Asriel would be dead. It took him several minutes until he finally regained his composure but you were still in shock. This could have turned incredibly ugly incredibly quick and you could only hope that nobody saw what just happened.

You were just about to apologize, when the door opened and the new professor stepped in. He was a rather old looking man, early sixties maybe, dressed completely in the stereotypical college professor attire. He even carried a brown leather suitcase with him. A pair of glasses, made from a thin looking metal frame, sat on his nose, aiding his slowly fading eyesight. Even his hair fitted the position he held at this college, almost making him look like the cliché mad scientist that he hopefully wasn’t.

Once he placed his suitcase on the table in front of him, he turned towards the class. “Good morning students. My name is Eckhart Liogan and I’ll be your new professor starting today,” his accent, although barely noticeable, perfectly fitted the mad scientist cliché.

You constantly switched back from looking at your phone and scanning the new professors face in an attempt to find any similarities between his and von Kaiser’s but there was nothing. They had absolutely nothing in common expression wise. This was nothing more than a delusional belief conjured by your paranoid mind and on top of that you nearly ripped Asriel apart. What a great way to start the day.

“Young man, could you please put your handy away?” the gray haired professor looked at you with a stern expression, though his demand did raise a few confused eyebrows. “Pardon me, what do you call these things over here? Cellphone? Just put that thing away and make sure it’s turned off.”

You did as you were told and the class began. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and everything proceeded as usual. A lecture about stuff you never knew you didn’t need to know and how to put it into use, should the unlikely scenario ever arise. Seriously, who is Toni and why does he have 2000 chocolate bars? Why can’t you have Toni’s 2000 chocolate bars?

As the class proceeded, your new professor did come up with a rather dubious question though.

“This question might be unrelated to our current topic, but I do enjoy to mixing things up a little. Keeps the mind sharp,” the words of the old man peaked your attention. “Imagine the following scenario. You’re are leading a facility that attempts to decode the human genome while simultaneously researching ways to modify it. You’re initial funding is ten billion dollars. In your first year, you receive and additional funding of 1 billion dollars while your expanses accumulate to 1.1 billion dollars. Both, funding and expanses vary by ± 10% of their original price every year. What is the longest time your facility can run, what is the shortest?”

You felt like you knew the answer but were hesitant to raise your hand, especially since it would be weird to give an answer that has nothing to do with math. 

Everyone was busy typing on their calculator while others tried to solve the problem in more traditional ways. A few minutes in and people were still calculating. Seeing that this would probably take some more time, you decided to raise your hand.

“Yes,” the professor called out, pointing his hand in your direction.

“The facility would run until the government intervenes. A facility like the one you mentioned would treat on morally and ethically questionable ground and as such would never be approved for public funding. Funding is gathered through ways that are equally dubious as the way the facility operated. The same goes for test subjects. They too are acquired through dubious and possibly illegal means,” you gave your answer and watched how a wide smile spread across the professors wrinkled face.

“Wunderbar, zat is zee correct answer,” judging by the fact that his accent began to show, it’d seemed as if your new professor was quite impressed with you.

Professor Liogan quickly cleared his throat after his small outburst and looked at the class with a rather serious expression. “Of course such a facility wouldn’t be able to rely on public funding. The actions within it would be strongly condemned by the majority of the public. As soon as word would get out, the government would intervene. So the only way too operate would be undercover. Excellent answer.”

His praise left a very uncomfortable feeling within you. Just why was he so precise when it came to the answer he desired? You began to create the wildest theories, some more plausible than others, while the class continued. It was only when Asriel began to slightly shake you by your shoulder that you returned to reality in the nearly empty classroom.

Asriel looked at you with an immensely concerned expression and moved on to the next class without uttering a single word. Even more theoretical stuff that may or may not prove useful later on. But you simply couldn’t focus, no matter how hard you tried, there was too much going through your head. It reached a point of nearly constant paranoia where even the slightest move in the corner of your eye set you on edge. Even during lunch break you eyes were rapidly darting left and right, back and forth while your ears flickered wildly. In just a few days, you turned into a nervous wreck and it was more than just a little obvious. Every single hair on your body stood up and if you were an actual cat your back would be arched sky high.

It was only within the confines of your dorm room that you managed to find some peace.

The day was only halfway over and you already dropped onto your bed, feeling dead tired. The constant fear that von Kaiser could be right around the corner was sapping you of your energy and worst of all, you weren’t even sure if it was him. For all you know Eckhart could be just a regular, old professor and you were going crazy over absolutely nothing. You felt weak and drained but you couldn’t allow yourself to fall behind.

“Alright ____, what’s going on with you lately? Ever since you’ve been to that Neko club for the first time you started to act almost paranoid. Just what were you talking about over there?” Asriel wore a deeply concerned expression as he spoke in an almost demanding tone. Of course your drastic change in behavior wouldn’t go unnoticed by him, not a single change withing you went unnoticed by him.

You simply looked off to the side, feeling just how conflicted you were on the inside. You shouldn’t tell him. Asriel has no part in this madness and telling him would mean you might put him in serious danger. But maybe he can help you, maybe he’s exactly the one that can help you and everyone else to put an end to this madness. Even if not, just getting this weight of your shoulder should prove to be more than enough help.

You let out a long, exasperated sight and looked and Asriel as if your entire world was slowly collapsing. “I’m not supposed to tell you unless it’s an emergency but I think this is the closest to an emergency this will get.” There was a pause in which you tried to gather and sort your thoughts. Just how were you supposed to explain all of this to Asriel? “You see, there are reasons to believe that the guy who started the entire Neko experimentation program is still alive. If he really is alive, then he’ll probably try to pick up where he left off. Seeing that pretty much all records of his doing were destroyed it’s likely that he’ll try to capture the few that survived the entire program.”

Asriel remained quiet for a moment as he visibly tried to come up with something to say that would hopefully calm you down. Perhaps there wasn’t anything to say, he sure made it seem so. After an agonizingly long five minutes, he simply but carefully approached you and placed his arms around you in an attempt to soothe you. 

“I promise, if there’s anyone out there that tries to hurt you I’ll personally make sure they’ll have hell to pay,” he whispered, hoping that it would help you calm down.

You wanted to protest, you wanted to talk him out of it but for what? It would make things only worse and Asriel doesn’t really look like the guy that would change his mind this easily. 

“Just don’t put yourself into unnecessary danger, alright?” you sighed again and put on the best fake smile you could muster up as you began to wiggle out of his embrace.

There was a short moment of uncomfortable silence between you, giving of the impression that Asriel took offense at your behavior. You simply didn’t want him, or anyone that’s not involved, being dragged into your business. 

“Listen, I just don’t want you to getting caught in the crossfire. We don’t know where von Kaiser is, we don’t even now if he’s anywhere that isn’t six feet under. But if he is still out there somewhere, we must be prepared for the worst,” you looked off to somewhere that was as far away from Asriel face as possible. “Just me telling you this puts you in danger. If von Kaiser finds out we’re just a little more than acquaintances he’ll try to find a way to use that to his advantage.”

Your justifications only served to raise Asriel’s concerns even further. Paired with the fact that you looked like you were fearing for your life made him realize just how serious things looked. 

“Do you think the new professor is actually this von Kaiser guy?” Asriel seemed cautious. He wanted to help you in whatever way he can but saying the new professor is an insane scientist with no morals that is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent people is a serious accusation.

“I have no evidence but everything just fits together perfectly. Von Kaiser’s entire plan fell apart a few years ago, his name is missing from the list of people that were confirmed dead and a few weeks after Nekos joined this college a new professor shows up. Even the question he asked earlier fits perfectly. I’m going to sound like a conspiracy nut-job but that can’t be a coincidence,” you tried to keep what little cool you have left and gave Asriel the gist of the situation.

“Well, if it’s that important I can have a friend run an extensive background check on him. As the current royal scientist she more or less played a part in the mess I’ve been through so I’m pretty sure I can get a favor out of her,” Asriel remained ominous about his suggestion.

“Can’t you just ring her up and ask her directly instead of guilt tripping her? You are the prince after all. She should be under your command, at least partially,” you didn’t really like the idea of Asriel pressuring someone into doing something. You didn’t even now whether he’s capable to do something like that.

“You might actually be right, she already feels bad enough for what she did. I’ll keep my idea as backup though,” he seemed to agree that his approach might be a little imprudent.

Another moment passed in silence. Whatever the royal scientist Asriel mentioned can dig up, it should help. If this new professor has no gaps in his résumé he should be unrelated to von Kaiser. Even if he does, as long as they don’t fall in the time where the experiments took place, there should be no reason for concern.

The silence was broken when you let you yet another sigh. “Thanks Asriel, I really appreciate your help. And I’m sure the other members of the Neko club does too,” you simply hoped that things wouldn’t completely escalate. “And sorry for nearly ripping your throat out. I was on edge and you nearly scared me to death.”

“I should be the one apologizing. I should have realized just how agitated you were,” an almost guilty expression began to spread on his face, even though you were the one that’s feeling bad for what happened.

“Hey. This might be sudden but, would you like to go out and do something? Anything that takes your mind off, really,” Asriel was determined to help you in every way he can, even is that meant putting himself in danger.

You took a deep breath before quietly whispering a “yes”. Whatever he has was up to, as long as it would help you forget about everything that was going on right now, even if only for a day, you’d do it.

Asriel, being the way he is, immediately grabbed you by the hand and looked at you with the widest smile you’ve seen yet.

“So, where are we going?” you asked in curiosity as you left the college building.

“We’re going to the movies. There’s a new movie airing today and I thought you might enjoy it,” he answered with a certain chirp in his voice as he dragged you along.

“Really? What’s it about?” you asked, slowly beginning to calm down from all the stress you’re going through right now.

“I don’t know, I don’t even know if it’s good. All I heard is that it’s a brand new movie,” Asriel sounded carefree as he gave you the exact answer you expected. He simply takes his idea and runs with it, disregarding whether his idea is good or not. If that means he crashes face first into a wall, then so be it.

So you once more departed for yet another different part of town and once more, the scenery began to change. The surrounding area began to look more modern, like a highly technological metropolis. Multi-lane roads stretched as far the eye could see while skyscrapers conquered the sky above you. Countless neon signs decorated the stores that populated the bustling district by the hundreds. Even during day, this part of town was full of life, with all sorts of entertainers presenting their shows to the curious city folks and visitors. But as soon as night falls over the district it’s vivid colors would begin to illuminate the previously gray streets, filling them with the nocturnal life that was attracted by the colorful spectacle. It was more than evident that this part of town was it’s technical heart.

This part of town was bustling with all sorts of folks. From people with hair that’s scores protagonist on the wackiness scale, to people that run around in their kigurumi style onesies. While the latter did raise numerous questions with you, it would probably be best to just let people do their thing. Some people even approached you, asking you where you got those realistic ears and tail. You simply responded by showing them the empty space where normal humans would have their ears, which left some of them disturbed and others impressed. Other people asked Asriel where he got his ‘suit’ and how much it cost him. They too shut up rather quick once they realized they were talking to the prince of monster himself. All in all, the community of this place seemed to be quite open and accepting.

Asriel led you further towards the city’s pulsing heart. Just how does he know where to go? Does he even know where he’s going? Whatever the case might be, Asriel confidently led you towards what would hopefully be your destination.

On your way to the movies you passed countless other people, monsters and people dressed as monsters and monsters dressed as people, some more convincing than others. Quite a few of them even decided to strike up a small conversation and these conversations went along rather peacefully, with the occasional weirdo every once in a while. Some even asked if they could take pictures. 

Despite numerous distractions you managed to arrive at the cinema and you were quite amazed. This was by no means an ordinary cinema but rather a humongous movie palace. Gigantic panels that displayed currently running movies decorated the outer walls, illuminated by the floodlights below. Some of them seemed quite interesting while others only made you question why anyone would want to watch them.

“So, can you guess which movie we’re going to watch?” Asriel asked with a curious tone, beaming with excitement.

“So you can pick that exact movie? I though you had this planned out?” you spoke as if you just caught him red handed.

“Well yes, of course I do. I was just curious to see what movies interest you,” he tried to defend himself but only managed to make himself look even more suspicious. 

“What are we waiting for then? You already know what movie you want to watch with me and I’m pretty sure you’ll know whether I enjoyed it or not afterwards,” instead of giving him the answer he hoped you’d give him, you simply talked past his question and entered the movie palace in front of you. 

You could hear Asriel sigh behind you as he followed. He wanted you to tell him what movie you hoped you’d watch so he could surprise you by buying the tickets accordingly but all he could do now was to buy tickets to some random movie and hope for the best.

After a few minutes of waiting in line, Asriel returned with two tickets and plenty of snacks and drinks. 

“Alright, we’re all set,” Asriel sounded slightly muffled behind all the stuff he was carrying.

You took some of the snacks off him and followed him to where the auditoriums were located.

“So, what movie are we going to watch?” you asked as you were following Asriel to whatever auditorium he was headed.

“It’s the newest mew mew: kissy cutie movie,” Asriel didn’t sound all that happy about today’s movie choice. “Remember when I mentioned the royal scientist earlier? She’s totally obsessed with that anime, or anime in general. She even thought that her manga were actual books on human history. She genuinely believed that anime was real.” 

Asriel paused for a brief moment, stopping dead in his tracks. “Well, now that I think about it. We have all sorts of monsters, magic that can be used by pretty much everyone and Nekos. Alphys might have a point.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you gave Asriel a rather questioning look.

Asriel simply shrugged and continued to move, arriving at the auditorium only moments later. Once your tickets were checked for validity you were granted access to the auditorium. Once inside, you sat down on the cushioned seats and waited. According to the tickets it’d still be a few minutes until the movie starts.

As the minutes passed the room begin to fill with more and more people, many of them wearing their mew mew: kissy cutie merch. Of course said merch just had to be cat ears and a tail. As more people claimed their seats in the rows in front of you, one visitor, that seemed to have an obsession with the protagonist of the movie, decided to turn around.

“Your ears are the wrong color,” they said in a way that carried a certain sense of annoyance.

“Excuse me?” you raised your voice slightly.

“Your ears, their supposed to be pink. Not whatever color THAT is. Ugh, I hate wannabe fans like you,” the seemingly agitated fan groaned in annoyance. “I bet your tail is the wrong color too. Why do they even allow ‘fans’ like you here?“

That kid’s condescending tone was slowly starting to get on your nerves. Luckily, they decided to zip it and redirect their attention to the white screen at the far end of the auditorium.

While you were waiting for the movie to start you noticed that Asriel was not only unusually quite but also had a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Something on your mind?” you asked him to share whatever is bothering him.

“Kind of,” Asriel began but stopped to take a deep breath. “I made some seriously bad experience with cinemas a few hundred, maybe even thousand resets ago. I don’t exactly remember how long it was ago. At some day, I almost lost a very good friend in front of one, in more than just one way. In the end it were the resets that ruined everything, again.”

“Ugh, if you can’t wear the right colored ears, could you at least shut up. People like you are the worst. Fake fans that don’t care about the real fans,” the same kid from only a minute ago decided to once again grace you with their presence.

“Could you please just turn around and stop bothering me? I’d very much appreciate that,” you politely requested them to leave you alone. 

“Who do you think you are, talking to my child like that?” of course your words just had to evoke the wrath of a much beloved type of parent. “It is unacceptable that people like you think they can go around and threaten children.”

“I did not threaten your child,” even though your blood began to heat up, you remained as calm as you could.

“Don’t try to deny it, I clearly heard how you were threatening my precious little sunshine,” you nearly threw up from how this lady described her child. Only thing missing was her, attacking you for being here with Asriel. But in the end, she decided to turn around and leave you alone, for now.

So you continued to wait for the movie to start but were once again interrupted by, what you can officially call hell spawn now. The kid turned around and began to wildly flail it’s arms towards you in hopes of reaching your ears.

“I CAN’T TAKE IT. Take off those STUPID ears right now!” the kid continued to rant about your ‘fake’ ears. You simply grabbed them by their wrist to prevent them from hurting the other visitors. They simply began screeching from the tops of their lungs in response.

“ENOUGH!” the mother joined in on her child’s screeching. “How dare you assault my child?”

“I am the one that assaulted your child?” you exclaimed in utter disbelief.  
“Your child is the one that began to wildly flail their arms trying to rip my ears of my head.”

“Then just take those stupid ears off, it’s not that difficult,” she spoke in that entitled way that everyone loved so much.

“Sure, just let me rip those ears from my skull,” you spat back in a sarcastic voice as you once more pushed aside your hair that covered the bare skin were humans normally had their ears.

Upon this revelation the child began to screech even more, seemingly terrified by your non-human features.

“That was a big mistake. Just what’s wrong with you freaks and your constant desire to disturb innocent children?” the woman began to completely lose it.

“You are the only one that made a mistake here,” the disdain in your voice was palpable as you pointed at her child. “And you better own up to it.”

The woman began to break down into an incoherent mess once she realized just what you said, which took her way longer than it should have.

As she continued to accuse you of the most vile things imaginable, security began to enter the room. Only a few moments later and security arrived at the row the mother and her hell spawn child sat at. 

The woman instantly calmed down the moment she noticed the security. “Finally someone with some sense. Could you please escort this ‘thing’ out of the building?” she pointed at you with a disgusted expression.

The guards looked at you with a sympathetic expression and began to escort the woman and her child out of the room but not under massive protest. The incapable mother began to hurl insults that would made a seasoned sailor blush, left and right, threatening to have everyone fired and you kicked from whatever college your attending while also making sure you’re barred from every job opportunity ever. It was a sad but equally entertaining sight to behold.

You sighed and looked over to Asriel, who was seemingly shocked by what he just witnessed. Then, after what felt like a billion years, the room began to darken and light stared to flicker across the screen. The show was about to begin but not before an advertisement and another advertisement and at least five more. Then the room lit up again and the obligatory guy selling overpriced ice cream began to walk through the different rows. Then the room began to darken again and the actual movie began.

The screen flickered alive and you were met with a brief rundown on the heroine’s last adventures. You didn’t understand a single thing that was going on but the imagery looked good, so props to the artists and animators. Then the opening song began playing and everyone in the audience, except you and Asriel, stood up and sung along. This was by far the most surreal experience you ever had. You were sitting in a room with over a hundred people and all of them were singing along to a song whose lyrics you didn’t understand. This was either going to be a really long or really short movie, depending on whether you fall asleep or not.

So the movie began and you slowly realized just what you were watching. Another generic magical girl anime featuring the eponymous magical girl, the totally generic bad guy who’s bad for the sake of being bad, the obligatory romance and, how could it be any different, the power of friendship. The movie wasn’t bad per se, it simply felt way too generic. At least the snacks were good. 

A quick glance over to Asriel quickly revealed that he wasn’t all that invested in the movie either. In fact, he looked like he was barely awake, constantly dozing off and waking up again only to doze off once more. It was more entertaining than the movie itself, which should give the director reason for concern. 

Eventually the movie ended and the crowd gave a standing ovation to no one particular and it felt incredibly awkward. It took the crowd a good five minutes to calm down again, five minutes that stretched for what seemed like forever. And even after their exaggerated expression of admiration for their fictional hero ended, the show was far from over. They just had to show a teaser for the next movie and the next season of the anime and the upcoming video game and all the other stuff you really did not care about in the slightest. You just wanted to go home and eat something.

Once the merciless bombardment of advertisements ended, the room finally began to empty. Now there was only one more problem to take care of. Asriel has fallen asleep and judging by the looks of it, he got completely lost in snoozetopia. 

“Wakey, wakey,” you began to gently shake him by the shoulders but quickly realized that your efforts were in vain. Asriel was still snoring slightly in his sleep. So you raised your voice a little, then a little more, all while you were shaking him by the shoulder with more and more force but Asriel outright refused to wake up.

“For crying out loud! WAKE UP already, sleepyhead!” you were now shouting at him, ready to give him a good smack across the face. Maybe this was one of those situation where only a kiss of true love could wake him up. If that’s the case Asriel would probably never wake up again.

Asriel’s eyes shot wide open, and he began to frantically look around the unfamiliar scene but quickly remembered where he was once he saw you. 

“Uhm, hey.” Asriel began to blush in embarrassment as he began to scratch his nape, chuckling slightly. “Must have fallen asleep during the movie. This is kind of awkward.”

“You sleep like a rock, you know that?” you sounded a little annoyed as you began to walk towards the theater’s exit, unsure whether you should be impressed or concerned by Asriel’s ability to fall that deep into sleep.

The moment you left the theater you found yourself nearly blinded by the city’s new glow. Night has thrown it’s darkening veil over the city but the city refused to fall asleep. Instead, countless vivid colors began to illuminate the world around you. It was almost as if the already lively city, truly came to live when the stars come out. Countless humans and monsters wandered through the streets. The myriad neon signs, that glowed in every color imaginable, attracted them like moths to an open flame. Music of all genres was playing from almost everywhere. A street band was showing off their performance somewhere in the distance and the heavy bass, seeping out of a nearby club, caused the air around you to vibrate. And to top it all off, various delicious smells begin to fill the air. 

You blindly followed Asriel to wherever he was headed, too mesmerized by the countless flashing colors that surrounded you. Not once would you have imagined to see something like this. And what made all of it even better, no one here judged you for who you are. You’re a Neko? Who cares? The people around here sure don’t. You’re here with Asriel? No one cares, you’ve seen all sorts of pairings around here.

At some point, Asriel stopped and you nearly continued to blindly walk to wherever you eyes were drawn to. You only stopped when Asriel grabbed you by your wrist and turned you towards him. 

“You wanna go and grab something to eat before we return to the campus?” the way he asked you that question almost made him appear a little shy.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” you happily replied, which was unusual for you. This place must have an enchanting aura to it.

And so you entered the mysterious restaurant in front of you. Asriel, being the way he is, held the door open for you witch a big smile plastered across his face. 

A quick look around revealed that this place a rather unique sushi bar, packed to the brim with customers. This place was huge and you slowly began to feel like this was a recurring thing around this part of town. An enormous network of conveyor belts stretched around the place, delivering all sorts of sushi across. Some of the sushi this places offered was more classic, varying from maki to nigiri and the occasional slab of fatty tuna, other types looked rather like it was made of rather unconventional ingredients.

Only seconds after you entered, you were shown to the last free table, that was somewhere on the upper floors. This place seemed to be rather high-tech. While the tables looked rather normal, they did come with a device that allowed you to quickly order drinks. 

While you simply sat there and watched the various types of sushi slowly drive past you on the moving belts, as if only to tease you, Asriel choose the menu. 

“Looks like today’s our lucky day,” he happily chirped as he turned towards you. “This place partnered with the creators of mew mew: kissy cutie and they’re currently running a promo week. Thanks to your cat features, we get 25% off everything. So I took the best deal they had to offer. All you can eat and all you can drink. Usually quite expensive but this promo thing really cut down the cost.”

And so the feast began. The moment you spotted something that looked even slightly delicious you snatched it from the belt. Only five minutes in the other customers were already staring in your general direction. It was almost as if you positioned yourself on the belt and let the sushi directly flow into your mouth, which was impossible thanks to the way this place was structured. That begs the question whether something like that had happened before. Whatever the case might be, you snatched on piece of sushi after the other at such a rate that Asriel’s plate was still empty. At some point the belt carrying the sushi began to speed up and the portion size increased, probably so other customers could get what they paid for. Even Asriel finally had the chance to eat something. 

“So, did you enjoy the movie?” Asriel tried to strike up a conversation in hopes it would slow down the speed at which you grabbed sushi.

“It was OK. Had it’s moment but the movie wasn’t really my cup of tea,” you replied, once you gobbled another slab of fatty tuna down.

“Well, at least you didn’t fall asleep like I did,” Asriel joked as he picked a rather unconventional piece of sushi. “The movie I originally wanted to watch with you was already sold out so I…”

Asriel stopped mid sentence and his face began to turn red, eyes watering. He continued to look all over the table and, once he couldn’t find what he was looking form began to smash his fingers on the small device on the table. Seconds later someone arrived with a glass of, what looked like milk. Asriel immediately gulped down the content off the glass and let out a long, drawn out breath he didn’t even know he was holding in.

“Holy cow, that was one hot piece of sushi,” Asriel said while panting. “Don’t get me wrong, I like spicy food. I just can’t handle it.”

Curious about the piece of the sushi Asriel just had, you kept your eyes open for another piece of it. It arrived only seconds later and you quickly snatched it and placed it in your mouth, much to Asriel’s horror. He was already ready to order another glass of milk. But you remained calm as the hot spiciness began to spread in your mouth. It was spicy, very much so, but you actually enjoyed it. It was a change that was more than welcome. 

Once you swallowed the thing down, you gave Asriel a rather unimpressed look. “Don’t know what your problem is. It spicy, I won’t deny that but it’s not THAT spicy.”

Asriel looked slightly mortified. That sushi caused his eyes to erupt in tears and you simply took it like it was nothing.

You stayed for a just a little longer, eating the remaining sushi on your plates while talking about the movie, or rather what Asriel saw of it. Once both of you were sated, you left the place and returned to the college. The colorful lights grew more and more sparse and soon the lively district of town grew distant. Soon you arrived back at the district where the college was located. 

“Asriel uhm…” you started, causing the caprine prince to turn his attention towards you, his expression illuminated by the moonlight. “Thanks. I really needed that. Just a day where I don’t need to think about something terrible that could happen.”

Asriel placed a hand on your shoulder and a big, beaming smile began to spread on his face. “Anytime.”

With all those worries that began clouding your mind recently you would have never though it possible to just sit back and enjoy a day in peace. But Asriel, he somehow found a way to give you that feeling of safety you longed for so much, even if it was for just a day. You could only hope that something similar to this could become the norm. Maybe not something this expensive, but something that allowed you to just forget about everything that’s going on. Something that allowed you to simply enjoy the moment.


	22. Theories

It’s been a few days since your little outing with Asriel and ever since then, you felt as if your relationship has shifted ever so slightly. Asriel was still the same as always, caring but sometimes a bit impetuous and to top it all off, he wasn’t shy at all whenever he was around you. Seriously, sometimes you can’t help but think he leaves the bathroom door unlocked on purpose. But despite the glimpse of safety you felt when you were around him, anxiousness still took over whenever you were outside of your dorm. And it often persisted even after you were finally within the comfort of your shared room. 

Right now, you were tip-toeing through the hallways on your way back from yet another alternate history class. The day after your little trip to the ‘district of lights’, as you’ve decided to call it, Asriel called the royal scientist, keeping the promise he made earlier. That was about a week ago and you were eagerly expecting the results, which hopefully would put your mind at ease. 

As you continued to sneak through the maze like hallways, you picked up the sound of a second pair of steps coming from yet another branching path roughly fifty paces ahead of you. Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be a problem but despite Asriel’s best efforts to help you calm down, you remained on high alert most of the time. So you remained in attack mode as you carefully approached the intersection of hallways.

“Relax, it’s just me,” Lonnie, out of all people, walked out off the hallways, his hand raised as to signify he’s no threat.

“Yeah, it’s ‘just’ you. Not sure if that’s any better,” you responded in a sarcastic, almost cynical way. But maybe this could turn out to be the moment you’ve waited for, you did want to ask Lonnie a few questions.  
“Anyways. Seeing that we already ran into each other here, mind if I ask you a few questions?” 

“Go ahead,” Lonnie didn’t really sound like he cared at all.

“Do you know anything about past timelines?” you directly confronted him about the matter that kept burning in the back of your mind.

“Come again?” he seemed a little confused at first.

“Don’t play dumb with me, you clearly know something. Those weird dreams or visions or whatever you want to call it, they only started appearing after I’ve met you and they kept bothering me ever since,” you tone shifted to something a little more insisting. “Besides, Asriel told me about the entire reset thing.”

“Well, if you put it like that. Yes, I do know something. What do you want to know?” Lonnie presented himself as surprisingly cooperative. Maybe he does want to help you.

“Anything, really. Like what happened to past me? Why is Asriel so adamant about not telling me what happened to my past self?” you continued your rather direct way of confronting him as it seems to be working so far.

“Ah that, yes. Tragic story really. I’m sure Asriel mentioned Frisk at some point or another, right? Well, they have a small problem. Nothing major, they just sold their soul to a demon at some point. Every once in a blue moon they loose control and the demon within them takes over,” Lonnie sounded like he didn’t care at all about what happened and why would he? You’re not really the best of friends. “Everything happened about five years after you met Asriel. You were in your early twenties, freshly graduated college and ready to take on the world together.”

Lonnie paused for a moment, though you couldn’t tell whether it was to recollect his thoughts or to mock you. After another moment of silence, he continued. “You two were in the mansions backyard, lying on the grass as you were stargazing on a balmy, starry summer night. Things were rather peaceful, that was until Frisk, or rather Chara, charged at you with a knife in their hand. Asriel could only watch in horror as they assaulted you, at least until he had a knife jammed between his eyes. Pretty sad end for you. If it wasn’t for the fact they caught you off guard you’d have survived, probably.”

You fell quiet for a moment as you tried to process what you’ve been told. If what Lonnie told you is true, you’ve been murdered by your former boyfriend’s sibling. But something about the way Lonnie talked bothered you. He sounded so indifferent, as if nothing about it really fazed him. It made him sound as if he was just making all of it up.

“Does that answer your questions?” he looked at you like a had much better things to do right now, which is probably true.

“Yeah, it does. Most of them. Thanks,” you sighed and continued on your way back to your dorm.

“Really? You’re just going to believe me all of a sudden? Who’s saying that I’m telling you the truth? Who’s saying that I didn’t just make all of this up? You didn’t really give me a reason to tell you the truth,” his cold words caused you to freeze right where you stood.

“Well, even if what you told me is just a bunch of lies, they’ll still help me get a little closer to the truth. So, tough luck if you thought you could screw me over,” you waved him off with a dismissive hand gesture.

You finally had another clue at hand and it didn’t matter whether it held any merit or not. While directly confronting Asriel with it would be unwise, you could use it to get information out of someone who might have some of the answers you seek. This Sans guy should be the next big lead you should follow up on.

Once you arrived at your dorm you spotted Asriel sitting by his desk, flipping through some folder. The moment he realized you were back, he beckoned you over.

“Hey ____, Alphys came by earlier and dropped of the results of her little investigation. I’ve started to dig through it but I’m not sure about the dates,” Asriel handed you the folder once you were within his reach “Here, take a look.”

You began to skim over the various pages. They listed pretty much everything there was to know about the new professor. How many times he was married, where he lived, his education including what he studied and of course, his occupation. Turns out that, during the time the experiments took place, he used to work as a professor back in his home country. That safely rules out any possibility of him being involved in the experiments in any way. 

“Nothing, he was living in an entirely different country when the experiments took place,” a relieved sigh left your throat as you put down the folder.

Knowing that the new professor was unrelated to the incidents that happened a few years back helped you calm your nerves immensely though it didn’t took your fears entirely. But you were probably blowing everything out of proportion, von Kaiser could actually be dead for all you know. At least you can try to focus on what’s really important now. Your studies, the drama club, your little investigation into your past and then there’s this weird thing between you and Asriel. Were you still pretending or did you actually start do develop feelings for him? You don’t feel like you did but that doesn’t mean anything.

“Something on your mind?” you didn’t even realize that Asriel had put his arm around you shoulder, either that or you didn’t care.

“No, not really,” you responded in much more calm way, looking at Asriel from the corner of your eye, causing him to take his arm off you. “Well, yes. There is something actually. Who’s this Sans guy you mentioned some time ago? You said he’s working here as a professor.”

“Yeah, he does and I really wish he wouldn’t. He has this annoying tendency to make terrible puns, he’s so lazy he makes sloths look like athletes and is overall just a pain to deal with. Seriously, he can’t be bothered to lift a finger unless the world is on fire and people are dying left and right, or if someone is mean to his brother and by being mean I mean something as little as being honest,” Asriel didn’t sound all that excited, talking about someone he didn’t like all that much. “He probably hates you already, considering what happened back at the restaurant. Seriously, you put the rant back in restaurant. You gave his brother so much flak he’d have been ripped to shreds if he was an aircraft.”

While Asriel didn’t really give you the answer you wanted, you still got enough information to find out on your own. A skeleton monster that works as a professor, that’s who you were looking for. Shouldn’t be all that difficult. In fact, you vaguely remember a skeleton you passed by on your first few days of college. Small, wearing a blue hoodie and pink slippers, reeks of ketchup. You’d probably recognize him once you see him, if you see him. Unless you’re actively looking for him he’d probably slip under your radar thanks to his size.

“Why are you asking, if you don’t mind me asking?” Asriel kept his eyes on you, wearing a slightly concerned expression. “Are you still trying to find out more about what happened in the previous timeline?

“I wouldn’t have to waste time investigating if you just told me,” you replied, shifting your tone to something that was more likely to appeal to his emotions.

“I still don’t understand why you want to know so badly,” Asriel simply shrugged in response.

“And I don’t understand why you won’t just tell me,” you kept a worry-free expression. “But I’ll find out sooner or later.”

Asriel let out a long sigh, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure you will.”

“Anyways, it’s time for drama practice. It’s the final act, after that we’ll practice to pull off the entire thing in one go,” you stated as you walked over to the door. Asriel following close behind, groaning.

A short walk later, and you arrived at the familiar scene of the bustling drama club. As always, the scenery was already set up and this time it looked extremely complex. Numerous new props were present, some of them looking almost as if they would come alive at any moment. In addition to that, the entire drama club had a role to play in the final act, though most of them were only minor.

“Alright guys, this is the final act so give it your all,” Elena seemed as motivated as always. “And before I forget, we have someone here to help us with the special effects. Don’t freak out if everything goes up in flames all of a sudden, that’s part of the show.”

If it wasn’t for the fact you knew the script by heart now, you’d be freaked out. Though maybe you should be freaked out, blockbuster special effects usually have no place in stage plays.

“But what if it isn’t part of the show?” a club member asked with concern.

“In that case we run,” Elena blatantly responded. “And before I forget. ____, Asriel. This is the scene where you’re supposed to kiss. Now, you don’t need to actually press you lips against each other, you just need to make it look real."

You chuckled slightly, starting to feel slightly nervous. Elena was right, the script did say that you and Asriel were supposed to kiss. Hopefully he has himself under control, otherwise this might turn awkward.

With that out of the way, everyone got dressed in their costumes and took their place.

 

The city of stars was within sight, the heavenly tower resting at it’s very heart. Heaven’s tear, the grand structure that split heaven apart, housed all the secrets the city held within. It was also the choirs base of operations. But soon nothing but dust and rubble would remain. With the united forces of you and your allies, there would soon be only six kingdoms left.

You turned around to face the army rallied behind you. What you were going to do today would go down in history as one of the greatest atrocities ever committed but you had no other choice.

“THIS will be the day the city of stars will cease. TODAY we will eradicate them and the threat their actions pose. Too long did they try to summon forces they can not control, forces no one can control. A force that is sure to wipe out all life as we know it. This is not a war for power, land or resources. This is a war to protect us and every innocent citizen from a threat they do not know about,” you paused and took in a deep breath in preparation for what you were about to say. “The city’s entire population has been corrupted by their leaders. If we only take out their leaders, someone else will continue their work. Kill EVERYONE regardless of who they are, don’t leave anyone alive. And DO NOT spare deserters. Everyone that dares betray their home has their right to life forfeit.”

You once more turned towards the city that lied ahead of you. The picturesque structures illuminated from behind by the slowly setting sun. The city was truly a beautiful sight to behold and it was a shame that soon, nothing but rubble would remain. You reached towards your weapon, ready to lead the army behind you into a merciless massacre, but turned around when you herd the pitter-patter of someone running up to you, the same someone that gifted you your weapon not too long ago. 

Just as you turned around to face Asriel, a pair of fuzzy arms began wrapping around you. “No one knows what will await you once you storm the city. This might be the last time I’ll see you so, there’s one thing it need to tell you,” he started but quickly began to stand on his tiptoes, moving his head closer to yours. From the viewers perspective it’d look like your lips actually connected, even though truth looked a lot different. 

“I love you,” with those possibly last words, he quickly retreated again.

You simply stood there, baffled by what exactly just happened. One more reason to put an end to this and come back alive.

With bolstered resolve and a clear goal in mind you unsheathed your weapon and pointed it towards the city. “EVERYONE, CHARGE!” 

With you leading, the army behind you began to charge towards the city. Magicians and sorcerers launched volley after volley towards the city’s wall, weakening it more and more. But such an attack wouldn’t go unnoticed and fire was quickly returned. Spheres of flames began to hail from the sky and unholy, ungodly chanting began to permeate the air. The choir once more called for the celestial children’s aid and heaven began to open, unleashing Armageddon on those below. You retaliated, channeling your magic and unleashing a powerful blast obliterated the city’s walls, reducing everyone that stood on them to nothing but ash. With a gaping hole in their defenses your army began to flood into the city and the murdering began while you moved onward to the heaven’s tear.

As you approached the towering structure the choir’s foreboding chants grew louder and louder and with it, the sky above seemed to become more and more alive. Clouds seemingly vanished and the heaven, devoid of life, seemed to breath. You quickly averted your eyes, having read of the consequences that would follow if you failed to do so. Once the sky starts breathing, the coming of a celestial child is imminent. You had to put an end to this, now or never.

The spire’s doors came into view and you were met with another barrage of magical attacks, though it was nothing you couldn’t deal with. You pushed forward, raising an arm in the air, unleashing a powerful magical blast that simply tore through the opposing forces, leaving not a single soul behind. With another threat out of the way, you pushed through the door and scaled the stairs that let further up. With each ascended flight, the world below grew ever smaller. Soon the city’s countless houses were nothing but tiny dots. The choir was only a few more floors above you but your path was blocked the arch-bishop himself, accompanied by his elite of fanatics. 

“Kill this heretic and make sure he serves as an example to those that dare defy the celestial children,” he pointed his wrinkled hand at you, speaking an enraged, loathing voice.

They all fell before they could even reach their weapon, severely underestimating the power you held. Your weapon, your jewelry and even the clothes your wear, all were brimming with power that rivaled the celestial children. And so you moved on, soon reaching the dome where the earthly spire kissed the untouched heaven. 

The choir didn’t hear you approaching, lost in their wicked melodies, nor did they see you, for they were blind. In the middle of their circle lied the god they summoned. A grotesque creature of incomprehensible shape, bound to the command of deprived chants. The creature spotted you and even though it had no facial features, you could swear it was smiling at you, grinning even. You held no sympathy for this unholy creation in front of you and quickly dispatched of the choir, breaking their influence on the celestial child.

Soon the creature began to emerge, moving the incoherent mass that was it’s body, only to lunge towards you at inhumane speed. You jumped to the side and retaliated by scraping your weapons blade over the floor sending twisting, twirling flames towards the abomination. While the beast was stunned by the blazing inferno, you quickly bridged the distanced between you, unleashing one strike after the other, driving it back as emitted a series of agonizing screeches. 

Seemingly enraged by your assault, numerous tendril like appendages began to sprout from the monsters back and began attacking you, slashing and stabbing in your direction. But you did not falter, cutting and tearing through the grievous assault. What you failed to notice were the tendrils the creature raised towards the ceiling, their tips glowing in a deep purple hue. Only seconds after, the creature released a barrage of beams, matching the glow of its tendrils. You never stopped moving, dancing through the continuous attack of beams, focusing on your defense for the time being. 

Even after the initial attack calmed down, the beast continued to fire beams of vile magic. As the creature continued to blindly throw it’s attacks, you noticed on detail. A faint, purplish glow underneath it’s hide. You continued to focus on evasive maneuvers, channeling a magical attack that would hopefully destroy the beast for good. As soon as you saw an opening you unleashed concentrated shot of condensed magic, piercing through the monster ahead of you, shattering the glass dome above you. An ear-piercing screech caused the air around you to shiver violently and the celestial began to flail violently before dissipating in a blinding flash, leaving behind a small gem that pulsed with immeasurable power. You placed the gem in one of the various sockets of your weapon and descended the tower.

By the time the assault was over, the sky was painted in dark blue colors, the sun no longer willing to bear witness to the crimes that were committed today. The army you led into battle returned with only few losses and the city of stars seemed devoid of life. You looked over the city from a distance for one last time, your weapon raised skywards and called upon the power that lied dormant in your new jewel. Within the fraction of a second the sky above tore open and a beam of fatal magic crashed down on the lifeless remains of a once grand city, reducing it to nothing but a ginormous crater. Trees shivered under the force of the impact and the shock-wave could be felt on the hill you were standing on, even knocking over a few unaware soldiers. Anyone that survived the attack or somehow managed to escape the city would surely be dead now. It was over. The city of stars was no longer.

 

“And that’s another successful practice, great job everyone,” Elena seemed to be fairly pleased with the results of today’s practice.

“Are you sure a simple stage play is supposed to have this many special effects? I mean, this felt like we were shooting some sort of blockbuster action movie. I mean, fire I understand. Lasers? Sure, who doesn’t like a good light show. But an orbital strike? That’s a bit much don’t you think so?,” Asriel seemed mildly concerned and rightfully so. The amount of explosions, laser effects and the likes of it was staggering.

“It’s all in the script. I don’t know why it is, but it is,” Elena seemed clueless whether the special effects were over exaggerated or still within reason. “Besides, those weren’t mere explosions. They were art.”

“If you say so,” Asriel casually shrugged his shoulders.

“Alright then. Now, from here on practice will be over the weekend. We’ll be practicing the entire play and see if we can pull it off in one go. Next practice will be Saturday next week. Come early,” Elena sounded like she had a positive outlook as he concluded today’s practice.

You left the drama club, going over what exactly happened during drama practice. For a moment you felt as if you were drawn into some sort of fantasy/action movie. A huge, animated monster, tons of magic and explosions. A normal stage play doesn’t usually utilize this many effects. How did they even manage to create them? Elena did say someone would help them with the effects but how did they do it? Magic, probably. While the entire play was nothing but a big fantasy setting, two things did bother you a little. The fact that you and Asriel were supposed to kiss, which was mainly because you didn’t really know just how you felt for Asriel, and the fact that the character your playing wipes out a kingdom and it’s entire population.

As you continued walking down the empty halls, you and Asriel were talking about what happened during practice and whether wiping an entire nation of the map was justifiable or not. While your conversation moved along, you noticed that the hallway your were about to walk through was closed due to repairs. Seeing that no one was there it was either quite late or it was one of those mysterious sites where workers are only a myth whispered about in the darkest corners of the college. You vaguely remember hearing about a country where roadworks were a dime a dozen and yet there were no workers present anyhwere. Maybe this is a similar case.

“Well, looks like we have to walk a different way,” Asriel stated the obvious.

“I guess so, though I don’t know what they’re repairing or how it broke in the first place. We’ve walked through that hallway on our way to practice,” you were slightly confused by the lack of visible damage. Was this just a prank?

Not wanting to take any unnecessary risks, you decided to evade Schrödinger’s site by moving to the upper floor. Once there you quickly realized that this was where the professors had their offices, one sticking out in particular. 

“There’s something I need to take care of, you just go ahead,” you said in a hasty voice as you turned towards Asriel.

“I’m not quite sure what you’re up to but, alright. See you later,” Asriel was seemingly oblivious and moved on.

There it was, the office of Professor Sans. Does that guy have a surname? Whether he does or not, maybe he has answers or at he very least clues to your questions. So you knocked on the door in hopes for a response, which you got shortly after. You opened the door and were met with the boney smile of a small skeleton.

“Heya kid,” he greeted you at first but soon gave you a rather questioning look, at least you think he does. “You’re not one of my students.”

“No, I’m not but I still have a few questions I’d like to ask you. If you don’t mind,” you replied, sounding as if you wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Something about this so called professor bothered you. He didn’t look like he was working here. The hoodie paired with the slippers made him look more like a dad who has given up on his son after finding his special pillow. 

He motioned towards the empty chair in front of his desk. “Take a seat,”

Just as you were about to sit down, you spotted something on the chair and picked it up, giving the ‘professor’ a disapproving look. “Is this a whoopee cushion?”

The skeleton chuckled and took the joke gadget out of your hand. “Sharp eyes kid, some weirdos leave them wherever they go.”

You simply sighed in response, seeing straight through his obvious lie and sat down.

“Anyway, you’re Asriel’s boyfriend, right?” the skeletal figure looked at you with an expressionless face.

“Yeah, I guess you can say that,” you somewhat confirmed his statement.

“Tell you what, leave him. It’s for your own good. That guy is more trouble than he’s worth,” he spoke in a condescending voice. 

“I’m not here to ask you for relationship advice,” you looked at him with a flat expression. “I’ll get straight to the point. What happened to my past self? Who was I before this timeline?”

Sans seemed almost shocked by what you mentioned. “That’s some dangerous information you’re asking for. How do you know about it the first place?”

“Asriel told me about the resets,” you plainly answered. “So, do you know something?”

“All I know is that you should cut him out of your life as quick as possible. He’s a walking bad luck magnet,” Sans kept insisting that you’d abandon Asriel while avoiding any possible answers to your questions.

“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. I do NOT care about your relationship advise. I DO care about what happened in the past timeline,” you were already loosing patience with him, probably because of his constant grin. “Just answer my question and I’ll be out of here before you know it.”

A blue glow began to emerge in his left eye and he began to flail his left arm, then again, then faster. Does he think you’re threatening him? Is that why he’s flailing his arms like that? 

“Could you stop flailing your arm like that, you might hurt yourself if you keep going like that,” you mocked him and his attempt at doing... something, whatever it might be.

“Just what are you?” for once the rather useless professor sounded scared, terrified almost.

“I’d love to know that myself,” you responded, leaning back into the chair. “So, you’re going to answer my question now?”

“You were killed, by the demon that comes when you call their name,” he gave you an answer, a vague one but an answer.

Maybe Lonnie did tell you the truth. It should be very unlikely that Sans is telling you the almost exact same lie, if it actually is a lie, Lonnie told you, unless they’re working together. Maybe they are but they’re both telling the truth. Either way, you’d find out. One way or another.

“Chara, perhaps?” you mentioned the first name that came to your mind, which only caused Sans to grow even more worried.

“How do you know that name?” Sans returned to a more cold voice that would have caused a shiver to run down your spine, if it wasn’t for the fact that Sans wasn’t intimidating at all, at least not to you. “Nevermind, just make sure you never use that name again. Bad things happen when people use that name.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s the reason,” You got up from your chair and moved towards the door, turning around once your hand touched the handle. “Thanks for the answer.”

A short five minute trip down the various hallways later and you were finally back at your dorm where Asriel was waiting for you and he didn’t look happy at all.

“Did something happen?” you asked him in a concerned voice.

“Mom called. Frisk will visit in a few days. They’re joining this college next year and mom wants me to show them around,” Asriel answered in an irritated way. “Anyways, what were you up to?”

“Nothing special, I just remembered that I wanted to pick up a book from the library,” you lied, delivering your answer in a casual tone.

“Where’s the book then?” Asriel was suspicious of you.

“They didn’t have the book I was looking for,” you shrugged and sat down on your bed, reflecting on what happened today.

Everything was slowly coming together and the fact that Frisk was visiting soon matched the timing perfectly. If what Lonnie told you was even remotely true, then Frisk was somehow involved in your untimely demise. You were sure that they could give you the answers you were looking for. On the other hand, one thing did concern you slightly. IF Frisk was involved in your potential death, then there would be no telling whether something similar might happen again. Though according to what Lonnie said and Sans’s reaction to the name Chara you might have an entirely different problem at your hands. A kid that’s possessed by a murderous demon called Chara. Asriel did talk about them some time back and it made them sound absolutely abhorrent.


	23. Answers

You were currently spending another evening with the Neko club, sitting by the table and waiting while Lucky tried to come up with an efficient way to shuffle the decks of cards he brought. He wanted to play another card game with the club members, war to be exact. The same people as usual joined the soon to be had fun, except Alister. He was busy somewhere else.

“How about we make all of this a little more interesting and add some truth or dare to the mix?” Lucky asked, his voice a mixture of curiosity and slight playfulness. “Everyone picks a deck and shuffles it. Highest cards gets to ask the one with the lowest card. In case all of us draw a card equal to each other, we’ll just use the next one. Winner gets all cards that are open. Same goes if two or more players have a winning or loosing card.”

Everyone seemed to be more or less intrigued by the idea and picked their deck. After a thorough shuffle, the game began.

You drew a six, not too bad but not all that good either. Everyone revealed their card and you didn’t have the worst card, Felix did and Chloe emerged victorious.

“Alright Felix, truth or dare?” Chloe sounded as if she knew exactly what she was going to say next.

“Dare,” Felix daringly answered without hesitation.

A mischievous smile began to spread on Chloe’s face. “Show us a little dance. As the captain of the dance club I’d love to see your moves.”

Felix wasn’t fazed by her dare at all and took the limelight without hesitation. “Really? That’s all? They gave me this body for a reason you know?” he sounded a little too confident, almost as if this was something he always wanted to do.

And so he began to dance, quite well actually. Seriously, he made it look like his joints didn’t work the way they’re supposed to. Arms and legs are not supposed to bend that way. Either way, he earned a standing ovation from pretty much everyone that was in the room and rightfully so. Even Chloe, who sees great performances on a nearly daily basis, was impressed.

“Well, that was unexpected. I actually feel kinda stupid now...” Chloe wore an embarrassed expression. “Anyway, how about you join the dance club? I’m sure you’d make a great addition.”

“No thanks, I like things the way they are right now,” Felix politely declined Chloe’s offer and sat back down.

Chloe placed her cards underneath her deck and everyone pulled a new card from the top of their deck. Ace, this was a sure win unless someone else drew an ace too. In that case your on the ropes again. 

The great reveal showed that no other aces were present and Lucky once more proved that his name was only for show. He lost, holding a three in his hands.

“Truth,” he stormed ahead and answered the question you haven’t asked yet, not that you’d hold it against him. The rules were clear and saying truth or dare was redundant. 

“Alright then,” you began as you reached inside one of the pockets of your jeans, looking for the trinket you packed before leaving for the Neko club. “How did you get this chip?” 

Lucky simply sighed in response when he saw the glittering trinket you’ve been handed not too long ago, while the others seemed to aghast.

“Don’t have much to add. Alister told you everything there is to know. It’s a shameful reminder of how many casinos I ruined. Not that I really care. Gambling is their business and even though the odds were in their favor, they lost it all. I have no regrets,” Lucky shrugged as he answered your question.

“Dude seriously? You gambled casinos into bankruptcy? How much money do you have?” Leo was utterly bewildered by his friends statement.

“It’s not your turn to ask questions,” Lucky playfully reminded the hot-headed Neko.

The game continued and cards constantly switched owners, who got to know more and more about each other. Either through silly dares or daring questions. 

“Do you have a crush on anyone in this room?” Lucky directed his question at Felix, who began to light up brightly.

“Yes but I don’t think I have a chance with them, seeing that they’re already in a relationship with someone else,” Felix sounded sad and his eyes drifted off to somewhere on the ground but quickly bounced back to the table. Crying over spilled milk would get him nowhere and he knew that perfectly well.

Everyone drew their next card and you already knew you lost, promptly causing you to start contemplating whether you should take truth or dare. What are the odds that more than one person drew a two? Too low, judging by the fact that everyone else had something better than you, with Chloe emerging victorious once more.

“Truth,” you spoke plainly.

“Since you and Asriel are dating. Did you two do, you know, IT?” she sounded almost too embarrassed to ask.

“No,” the completely nonchalant sound of your answer didn’t make things any less embarrassing for Chloe, who was as red as a beet by now.

Once the awkward moment of silence passed, the game continued and more details were unearthed. Turns out that Leo has a bit of a crush on Lilly, which didn’t surprise anyone. The only reasons Lucky attends college is because he wants to, seeing that he has enough money to live every day of his life, however long it may be, to the fullest. Chloe had to deal with the weirdest fans the world has ever seen and Felix seemed to gather all sorts of attention, wanted or not.

You could continue playing like this but judging by how things were currently going you would probably sit here until the world is engulfed in fire and flames. So Leo called it a day and dismissed the club.

Once you arrived back at your dorm you were greeted by Asriel, who looked very displeased for some reason.

“Did something happen?” a concerned expression began to spread across your face as you spoke in a worried tone.

Asriel let out a long, exhausted sigh. “Remember when I told you Frisk would come visit? Yeah, well. That’s tomorrow. I basically spend the last hour arguing with mom why that’s a bad idea but she can be really stubborn. Guess that’s another thing I got from her.”

“So in other words. They’re coming, whether you like it or not,” you reply sounded unimpressed as you sat down on your bed.

“Yeah,” Asriel let himself flop on his bed and turned his head towards you with a dejected expression. “I just, I can’t even stand being around them anymore. Every time I see them I remember all those people I’ve met, all those memories we made, all those times these goddamn resets ruined everything over and over again. What makes all of it even worse is the fact that Frisk was the very first person I had a real crush on.”

Frisk was the first person Asriel fell in love with? That was quite curious considering how badly he seemed to think of them nowadays. You wanted to ask him to elaborate but knowing him, he’d do just that any minute now.

“The first time they saved me from my personal, little hell I saw them as a hero. I looked up to them, thought of them as the perfect friend. So we kind of started dating at some point,” Asriel’s voice sounded full of regret as he told you a little more about his past. “During all that time I did two things. I showed that I didn’t learn my lesson from the entire Chara debacle and I forgot something very important,” he closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath, releasing in soon after. “Hold your heroes to a higher standard. In the end, all I did was to once more proved how much of an idiot I am.” 

The drastic change in Asriel’s expression became more obvious as he rolled on his side to ease the strain on his neck. “I’m just so tired of it, all of it. The only thing that’s consistent in my life is the complete lack of consistency. Even my brain is scrambled after every reset. While my memories remain, I always end up as a slightly different person after a reset. All I want is a little consistency, a little bit of stability. Is that too much to ask for?”

Asriel’s little rant left you feeling conflicted as a myriad of emotions began to well up inside you. Sympathy, sadness, confusion but on top of it all, anger. Sheer, relentless, burning anger. The hell he has to go through on a daily basis, falling asleep without knowing whether the next day will come or if he’ll wake up in the past. What made matters even worse was the fact that you unwillingly and unknowingly became a part of it. In a previous timeline he fell in love with you and you with him, then you were torn apart. And sooner or later it will all happen again. You’ll be torn apart again and he’ll give up on you at some point. And all the memories you made and will make up to that point will turn into nothing more than emotional baggage that only serves to drag him further down a hole with neither escape nor bottom. You wanted to say something, anything, to cheer him up but your mind was either completely blank or too crowded. 

Asriel picked up on your shifting expression and a smile began to spread across his face, though it seemed more forced than anything. “You’re probably thinking I’m insane and you know what? You’re right. I don’t even know why I do what I do, why I bother if nothing has any consequences. It doesn’t matter what I do. Sooner or later everything just goes back to zero and everything starts again. It doesn’t matter what’s going to happen, who gets killed and who survives. I could chuck myself of a cliff and would wake up in that damn flower field again. I’m just so GODDAMN SICK of it!”

There was a long moment of dreadfully uncomfortable silence. Is this what really goes through Asriel’s head? Is this the reason he thinks so poorly of his sibling? You couldn’t imagine how he felt, there was no way your mind could come even close to comprehending his situation. When absolutely nothing you do has any lasting consequences it may sound like heaven at first but it also makes finding a lasting relationship impossible.

Asriel sighed, breaking the silence in the progress, and rolled over on his back again with all his limbs stretched out. “Sorry for ranting like that. I just needed to get that off my chest, at least for the moment.”

“Don’t worry about it, we all have those things that keep pestering us,” you reassuringly replied.

“Yeah, I guess,” there wasn’t much hope in Asriel voice and expression, or so you’d assume. His face became significantly more difficult to see. “Anyways, I guess I’ll go to bed early. I’ll need a good night worth of sleep, considering who I’ll have to face tomorrow.” 

Asriel got off his bed and disappeared into the bathroom, reappearing minutes later only to crawl under the sheets of his beds afterwards. Seeing that there wasn’t much else to do, you followed suit and went to sleep in your own bed.

Morning came and the sun slowly peered over the horizon, throwing it’s first gentle rays into the room, tickling you awake. You opened your eyes only to find the room empty. Asriel was already up and, judging by the sounds coming from the bath, taking a shower. Today was not only the day Frisk would visit, it was also the day you would finally get your answers. If anything you’ve been told held even a tiny fragment of truth, then Frisk should be able to answer you question. They WILL answer your questions.

While you were devising a plan on how to get the most information out of Frisk, the door to the bathroom opened. It would seem that Asriel finally learned his lesson judging by the fact he left the bath fully clothed, a rather rare sight to behold.

“Morning ____,” just by the tone of Asriel’s voice you could tell he would rather stay in bed for the day.

“Morning,” you replied in a more optimistic tone, hoping that it would at least slightly rub off on Asriel.

“Frisk will be here in a few hours, so could you keep an eye on them while I show them around?” concern lingered in Asriel’s voice, which only served to prove your theories right. Frisk was potentially dangerous.

“Sure, I’ll keep an eye on them,” you continued to reply in a reassuring matter.

It seemed to work. Asriel’s expression eased visibly as he sighed in relief. “Thanks, that means a lot to me,” the corners of his lips curled upwards as he spoke his words of gratitude.

Asriel proceeded to walk over to his desk and grabbed a map of the campus from one of the drawers. He was planning a route that would show Frisk through the college as quick as possible. This might be a good moment to take a shower yourself. About fifteen minutes passed and you were ready to face the day and the kid that, may or may not have, murdered you in the past. Feeling refreshed, your morning routine continued. Once breakfast passed and you were back in your room, Asriel presented you with the route that would show his sibling fallen from grace around the campus.

“So the basic idea is, the faster I’m done showing them around the quicker they can go back home,” Asriel really didn’t want to do to this, that much was obvious just by the tone of his voice alone.

“Won’t you see them anyway, should they join this college next year?” you carefully asked, to which Asriel simply rolled his eyes in response.

A knock on the door caused Asriel to groan in annoyance as he got up to open it. There they were, a human roughly a head shorter than you wearing a blue and pink striped sweater. Behind them stood Toriel with a wide smile on her face, something neither of her children shared. Asriel looked like he was already done for today while Frisk wore an expression of indifference. Their expression changed rather quickly though. The second they saw you, their face became twisted by something akin to fear. You could already tell that this was going to be a long day and much like Asriel, you weren’t looking forward to it.

“Alright children, be nice to each other,” Toriel spoke in a motherly manner and returned to her office, leaving Frisk standing in the door frame.

“Alright, let’s just get this over with,” Asriel already grew impatient and walked over to Frisk, his expression speaking volumes about his current mood. “And by the way. ____, this is Frisk. Frisk, this is ____.”

After halfheartedly introducing you to Frisk, he began to lead the way through the college while Frisk simply followed. Seeing that you had a promise to keep, you tagged while keeping a close eye on Frisk. 

It was just a simple tour through college but for some reason Frisk seemed terrified. Each of their steps was shaky and they kept their arms close to their body, as if they were trying to preserve their body heat.

“Here’s the cafeteria, I’m pretty sure you know what it’s for and if not, you probably shouldn’t go to college,” there was a strong, palpable hint of disdain in his voice as he spoke to Frisk. He really, REALLY disliked them.

The trip continued past the gym and the various clubs, while Asriel halfheartedly named everything noteworthy without as much as looking at Frisk. He just wanted this to be over as quickly as possible and it seemed as the feeling was mutual for once, though the reasons were different. Frisk still looked like they were fearing for their very live, as if a violent death was right around the corner.

After a few hours of walking across the campus, in which Asriel showed everything worth of notice, you returned to your dorm. You and Asriel sat down on your respective beds while Frisk sat down on the ground, still shaking with fear. 

The surrounding atmosphere was tense, dangerous even. Asriel simply sat on his bed, looking like he wanted to be somewhere that wasn’t where he was right now. Frisk on the other hand began to frantically look left and right, as if they were trying to make sure no one would just lunge at them. One thing did stick out though. They avoided looking at you like you were the harbinger of death.

“I just remembered that I need to take care of something. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Asriel got up from his bed and left through the door. It almost seemed as if he had some sort of devious plan. “Make sure you don’t kill each other, not that it really matters if Frisk dies. It’ll be just another reset for the ever growing pile.”

A guilty expression began to spread across Frisk’s face after Asriel closed the door and for some reason they became even more afraid than before. They continued to restlessly shift from side to side while fidgeting with their fingers, still refusing to look in your general direction. 

“Uhm, I- I think I should go,” they spoke quietly and slowly began to get up and walk towards the door, but you stopped them by simply moving in front of it.

“Leaving so soon? That’s a shame. Would’ve loved to chat with you for a minute or two,” the aura of fear that surrounded Frisk nearly began choking them and you mocked them for it. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. At least as long as you don’t try to kill me again.”

Their shocked expression was more than enough of an answer. It was clear Frisk was the one that killed you, no doubt about it. Then, all of a sudden, they began stumbling. Frisk’s entire life flashed past their eyes as chopped words and incoherent mumbles left their throat, all of them adding up to hasty apologies and desperate excuses. They confessed what they’ve done. They confessed that they were the reason you were killed. All because, at some point countless of resets ago, their curiosity took over and they made a deal they’d regret until the end of reality itself.

You had your answers and stepped aside with an expression that could easily kill someone. “That’s all I wanted to know. Now get out of here.”

Frisk left the room and ran, they ran as fast as their legs could carry them. You doubt they’ll join this college, at least for now.

“I assume you got the answers you were looking for?” Asriel returned to the scene, though you doubted he actually left in the first place.

“Yes, I did,” you looked at him with a dead serious expression.

Asriel smiled and passed through the door, patting you on the shoulder as he walked past you. 

“Hold on a minute,” Asriel stopped when you called out to him. “You’ve been planning this, haven’t you? Refusing to answer my questions until now, mentioning those resets and once I finally gather enough information you tell me that Frisk comes for a visit. Then you spontaneously leave the room and arrive at just he right moment to watch Frisk leave. Sounds fishy if you ask me.”

Asriel simply raised his hands to the height of his shoulders, lowering his head in humility. “Guilty as charged. You’re way smarter than you let on, you know? I’m impressed.”

“If it turns out you’ve been playing games with me I’ll gut you,” you unsheathed your claws and moved in dangerously close, threatening him.

“W-what? NO! No, no, no, no, nonononononono,” he panicked instantly, backing away as he waved his hand in front of him. “I promise, no, I swear. The things I feel for you are real. I just wanted to get back at Frisk for everything they have done.”

“What are those ‘things’ you’re talking about?” you already knew what he was referring to, but a little bit of confirmation never hurt anyone.

“Love. I still love you,” he said it, he seriously said it and he said it like he genuinely meant it. “In so many ways you are still the ____ I remember. Sure, you might not be as adorable as you used to be, but you kept your ‘no bullshit from anyone’ attitude while also being able to goof around with your friends. You’re still this caring, creative guy I fell for and you’re still willing to protect the ones you care about with everything you have,” He shook his head and rushed inside your shared room, jumping into his bed and burying his head in a pillow.

There they were, even more answers. Answer to who you used to be. But are you still that “you”? Or were you someone entirely else? Asriel’s description does match some of your traits but others… Either way, he just confessed his feelings for you, even though they were already rather obvious. But you remained unsure how you felt for him. You knew you felt something. There was some sort of attraction you felt towards Asriel, though you couldn’t tell whether it was romantic or platonic. 

“It’s happening, it’s already happening,” you could hear Asriel’s muffled rambling as you entered your dorm again and they could have only one meaning. He was afraid you didn’t return his feelings. And while you didn’t know just how you felt for him, there was one thing you did know. Seeing him like that hurt in a way you couldn’t quite describe.

“Azzy,” his head, bearing a shimmer of hope, shot up the moment you called him by one of his various nicknames. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know what exactly I feel for you. I know it’s something but that something is pretty vague.”

Asriel remained quiet and his eyes began pacing left and right. He was clearly trying his hardest to process what you just said.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, I just need a little more time until I’ve figured it out,” while you didn’t outright reject him, you did remain ambiguous. Wrong hopes were the last thing he needed.

“I guess that’s fair,” Asriel sighed, a half smile appearing on his face. “Thanks for being honest with me.” 

There was a weird ‘calm after the storm’ type of ambiance surrounding you. Asriel knew he did something stupid, and he knew you weren’t quite happy with what he did.

“I might be giving you a fair chance but that doesn’t mean I’m OK with what you did today, including all the planning you’ve done beforehand. Just make sure you don’t do something this dumb again, alright?” you scolded Asriel for what he did.

“I guess I only did it because I wanted to get back at Frisk for everything they’ve done. It’s thanks to them that I’m in this constant state of fear that the next time I open my eyes, everything will be back to the way things used to be,” Asriel began explaining himself and his actions with an expression of deep guilt on his face. “I simply wanted them to feel fear in a similar way I do every day. Just for a short moment I wanted them to know how it feels like when everything you have could be taken away at every given moment. I’m sorry, I should’ve been better then them.”

You couldn’t quite understand the reasoning behind his actions, mainly because you couldn’t even understand how he feels in the first place, but you decided to let it slide. His past, his fears, how these resets work and what they do and do not affect. None of it made sense to you and it probably never will. The only thing you did understand was how negatively they affected Asriel.


	24. Curtain Call

A few weeks passed after Asriel’s little outburst and ever since then things felt even more different from when they felt after your little trip to the city’s more lively district. You didn’t know why, but for some reason you wanted to help Asriel even though you had no idea how. Despite Asriel’s best efforts to share his understanding of resets with you, you still failed to grasp the concept. All you understood was that it worked similar to save files in video games. Right now however, you had greater worries than wrapping your head around something you wouldn’t be able to understand anyway. Midterm exams were coming up, and you spent most of your time studying. Seriously, why does the topic of SOULs have to be so overly complicated? 

You groaned in annoyance and kicked your feet off the ground, hoping your chair would roll backwards. Unfortunately you only had a simple chair instead of an office chair. As a result the chair, in which you were still sitting, toppled over and hit the ground with a loud thud.

“Are you alright?” Asriel immediately rushed over to you, bending down to you with a concerned expression on his face. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

You simply rubbed the back of your head as you looked around the room with a stunned expression. Did that seriously just happen? 

“Yeah, I think I’m OK,” despite your initially dazed state, you found your way back on your feet.

“You know, if you have any question regarding SOULs let me know. I’ll try my best to explain it to you,” the prince offered his help like he has done many times before.

“I think I pretty much got the hang of it by now. What you told me a few months ago helped immensely,” you spoke with confidence as you placed your chair back where it belonged.

“Then tell me what you’ve learned,” your caprine friend insisted.

“A SOUL’s color is determined by how strongly each of the seven primal traits are present. A SOUL’s composition also determines it’s compound traits. Black and white souls have all seven traits in balance though they vary in how strong they’re present. If all traits are equally strong it’s white, if they’re equally weak the souls tends to appear gray or even black. Then there’s the case of negative SOULs, who invert the color of surrounding light but seem to have no effect otherwise. A SOUL can be turned negative when events ‘traumatize’ a person. The effect can be reversed if the person overcomes their trauma,” you confidently gave him a quick rundown of your knowledge.

Asriel raised his hand to his chin, sinking deep into thought as he determined just how far off you were. His emerald green eyes began to dart back and forth like he was reading a text printed across a way too large paper, while the gears in head began running red hot. If he was thinking this hard you should probably just give up and accept that F.

“Got nothing to add to that. Pair that with what I told you a few weeks back and you should have no troubles with the exam,” Asriel happily announced, easing the worries that were on your mind.

“I just hope you’re right,” you sighed, feeling a little more convinced that you could actually pass the upcoming exams.

“Can you believe it’s already been half a year since we joined college? Feels like summer was just yesterday and now we’re already busy with midterms,” Asriel sighed as he began to reminisce of the first few days of college.

“Yeah, time really flies by when you’re not paying attention,” you reply sounded almost absentmindedly as you were focused on your studies.

It was obvious that Asriel was looking for a way to strike up a conversation but right now you had other priorities. Even though Asriel offered you numerous times to just live a life of luxury with him, you still wanted to get your degree so you could be independent, or rather get the chance to become independent. Finding a job without a having a home was impossible. Ditching your studies and living with Asriel would mean that you’d be dependent on him, and you didn’t want that either. You wanted to have the freedom of shaping your own life.

Time passed and you must have been studying until the late evening. In fact, you were so engrossed in your studies you didn’t even notice how Asriel turned on the TV. It was only when a very certain name fell, while Asriel was zapping through the various channels, that you snapped out of your trance.

“Hold on, go back a few channels,” you requested, causing Asriel to flinch in surprise. He did not expect you to speak up all of a sudden, but complied with your request.

“… has been confirmed dead on the scene by authorities. The three hour long chase ended in a fatal crash off the roads near the base of Mt. Ebott. No other people were harmed during the chase,” the news anchor read off their teleprompter. “A police raid earlier today revealed that von Kaiser planned an attack on the H&D college, a college that made the news earlier this year for being the first college to allow Nekos to enroll. The documentary ‘The emperor of madness’ will show further details of the life of Johannes von Kaiser. And now, Becky with the weather.”

You couldn’t believe what you just heard. Von Kaiser has officially been confirmed dead. A wide smile began to spread across your face, as morbid as it may sound. You felt as if you’ve been liberated from a burden that held you back from unleashing your true potential. Finally you could roam free without being afraid. No longer would you have to jump at the smallest move within the shadows of you peripheral vision.

Asriel simply looked at you with mixed feelings. “I know that guy was supposed to be a terrible person but does that justify celebrating his death? I mean...” he was cut off by you when pulled him into a sudden hug only to release him seconds later and back off with an awkward expression.

“He, he,” you chuckled nervously. “Sorry about that. Guess I got a little emotional there.”

Asriel couldn’t response, despite his best efforts. All that passed his lips were mumbling sounds, a salad of chopped words and the occasional bleat. In addition to that it also looked like someone dumped a bucket of crimson red paint over his head. You feared that he might pass out from all that blood rushing to his face.

“Looks like I’m finally free now. I can’t believe von Kaiser is actually dead. If I had the money I’d probably invite you to celebrate with me,” you joked but fell quiet again when your phone began buzzing. Leo was calling.

“Hey ____, have you heard the news?” Leo sounded quite excited.

“Yeah, I did. Parts of it at least,” you replied, unable to hide your own excitement.

“Best news I heard in a long time. Seriously, we can finally go out without being paranoid someone might jump us,” Leo sounded ecstatic, “Anyways, I’d love to chat a little more but midterms are starting tomorrow. So, guess I’ll talk to you some other day,” Leo hung up on you, making you wonder why he called in the first place. But he had a point. Midterms were right around the corner and you should probably get some sleep.

You woke up early the next day and freshened up in the bathroom. This was the week that would decide if your weeks and months of diligent studying paid off or if they were nothing more than a huge waste of time. After strengthening yourself with breakfast, you and Asriel moved on to your classroom where you took your seat. The exams were handed out and with the time limit set, the excruciating process began.

As you were filling out the various answers, you noticed just how quickly the answers came to you. You breezed through the various questions with ease, only struggling at a few questions that proved to be a lot trickier than expected. Even then, you managed to finish in time, handing in your papers with a feeling of confidence. The days that followed felt quite similar. Even if your results were only half as good as you expected them to be, you’d pass with good grades.

With exams out of the way, you’d only have one more thing to take care of before winter break. The great performance of the play you practiced so hard for. While the play was still a week ahead, you could feel a sense of anxiousness built up inside you. For half a year you practiced and recited and soon enough you’d see if it was worth it.

“You’re feeling nervous about everything too, don’t you?” Asriel approached you from behind, sounding as if you were just about to go out and save the world from some evil force.

“Kinda. I’m fairly confident about my exams. It’s the play that worries me,” you sighed in response as you began to feel the weight that the play put on you.

“If it helps, my role is minuscule compared to yours and I already feel like freaking out just by thinking about it,” Asriel tried to sound reassuring, but instead of easing your worries his words only added to them. 

You were playing a leading role, no, THE leading role. You’d be in the limelight for the majority of time. In case you mess up, you can’t just bail out or shrug it off because your part in the play is already over. No, you’d have to go out there again and again, finishing the job you started. There was no room for mistakes and even though you knew the script by heart, you still feared that your mind just goes blank and flushes out every line you spents hour learning. Is this what they call stage fright? Maybe it would be a good idea to go to bed. The stressful days aren’t over yet and not getting enough sleep was the last thing you needed right now.

The days that followed were mostly spend with preparations for the play. Existing props were improved, damaged ones repaired or replaced. The entire team practiced how to quickly set up for the next scene and certain acts were further refined. With every day the great performance drew closer, the drama club members became more and more anxious and before you knew it, the day of performance would be only one day away. On that night, you went to bed with a feeling of anxiety stronger that anything you ever felt before.

The dawn of the next day rolled over the horizon and with it came not only the great day you were preparing for, it was also the day you’d find out whether you passed your exams or not. Asriel was already up and about, scurrying through the room like a ferret. He stopped when he saw you were awake.

“Hey, you’re finally up,” he sounded nervous as he spoke in a hurried tone.

“Yeah, more or less,” you answered tiredly. Despite your best efforts, you couldn’t really get some restful sleep. “So, today’s the day. How’re you feeling?”

“I feel like running. I joined the drama club so I could learn how to feel more comfortable when speaking to crowds. But right now, I want to ditch everything, run away and hide until it’s over,” Asriel replied nervously, the expression on his face showing that he felt almost ashamed for what he said.

“Really? You made it this far and now you’re just going to tug tail? I get it, your anxious, I feel the same. But you can’t just run away now. We spend months practicing and everyone is relying on us. This isn’t the time to give up. This is the time where we go out and show them what we can do. Show everyone what you can really do. Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you,” you gave your best motivational speech you could come up with in your tired state, and it seemed to be working. Asriel’s expression eased visibly.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” he was smiling again, which was a good sign.

“They posted the exam results today, didn’t they? Why don’t we go check them out?” you proposed, causing Asriel to simply nod in response. That settled it. Once you were freshened up, you’d check how badly you failed at your exams.

After finishing your morning routine, you went downstairs and checked the blackboard where the various exam results were posted. Countless other students were already present, checking their results. Most of them had tears in their eyes, some were tears of joy, others were tears of misery. Once the crowd began to clear, you finally managed to get a look at your results and they surprised you. Either your classes are filled to the brim with idiots, or your studies actually payed off. Somehow, you ended up top of the class, paired with Asriel. Both of you got 100%.

“Well, this is a surprise,” you sounded baffled by your own accomplishments.

“What do you mean? You studied harder than anyone else. This isn’t some twist of fate, that’s the result of hard work,” Asriel sounded much less surprised.

“Well, yeah. I did study day and night but still. I did not expect this,” you remained almost cautious, as if this was all just a big misunderstanding.

“Anyway, why don’t you keep this for some other day. Our performance is later today and we should be in peak condition for that,” Asriel reminded, trying to mask his nervousness with a more happy tone. You nodded and moved on to breakfast.

The entire college was filled with an aura of commotion. Students were talking about their grades, their plans for winter break and of course the upcoming play, the latter making you feel more and more anxious. It was as if all those recitals didn’t help at all. By now, you knew everything by heart but actually performing on stage, where everyone could see, students and professors alike, made you fear for the worse. But there was no point in it. With all this time spent practicing you couldn’t just jump ship now, especially after what you told Asriel yesterday. So you simply retreated to your dorm after breakfast and mentally prepared yourself for what’s to come.

The evening quickly approached and all students were called into the college’s biggest auditorium. The room was packed full with students, though not all of them would be there for the play. Many would leave after Toriel finishes her speech. At least that’s what you hoped for. So Toriel began her speech, talking about how successful the year was for the college and it’s students and how well the integration of Nekos proceeded despite numerous minor setbacks. As her speech drew to an end, she concluded by wishing everyone happy holidays and a successful new year. She then announced that everyone was free to leave if they weren’t interested in the play before passing the stage to the drama club. 

This is it, the moment you dreaded. You appearance was still a little ahead, which, for better or worse, gave you a little more time to think about what’s about to happen. If you pull this off without failing miserably you might be able to improve your reputation, which was quite necessary. This was an opportunity, an opportunity to either give your reputation an enormous boost or become a laughing stock. But you were out of time. The opening act concluded, and it was your time to take the stage by storm.

So you entered the stage and the first thing you noticed was how little the number of students decreased. Word must have gotten around that Asriel would be on stage too. Nearly everyone was present. You were pretty sure the numbers increased over all. Sure, some students left, but every single professor was seated among the crowd of people. But this was no longer the time to worry yourself. This was the moment where you forget yourself and become the character you’re supposed to play. 

The scenes played out, one after another, and not once did you notice any signs of anxiety. You were no longer you and the world was no longer the world it was. The world become one of fiction, and you were no longer you but the character you were supposed to be. It was as if there was no crowd. For the entire play you managed to stay in character, playing you role as if you’ve never been someone else, captivating every single soul that was out there. The play almost flew by, and the final act approached before you even realized it. It was only the tiny break to seat up the new scenery, that made you realize just how close to the end the play was, and how close the kissing scene with Asriel was.

You were called back on stage, and the final act began. The annihilation of the city of stars, the controversial climax of the play. But beforehand came the short moment of respite, at least story wise. You could feel how desperately your heart wanted to quit it’s job, pack up and jump out of your chest to pursue it’s dreams. Every second brought the moment closer where you and Asriel were supposed to ‘kiss’ and even though you practiced the scene numerous times, nearly perfecting the art of kissing without actual contact, you still felt nervous without knowing why. Then the moment came, the moment you dreaded most of all, and Asriel actually did it. He kissed you, straight on the lips. You wanted to scold him, you wanted to give him hell in front of all those people that were watching but you swallowed down your initial anger. This was not the time to loose your cool. The show must go on.

The play ended with standing ovations. Everyone seemed to have loved it and the entire cast stood on the stage, basking in the cheers and applause they were showered with. The play was a huge success, but you couldn’t really enjoy all the admiration you got. There was something different that burned on your mind, searing away every other thought that could intrude. Asriel kissed you and it made you realize something. This strange, indescribable feeling you developed, it was love. Somehow, at some point in time, Asriel managed to captivate your heart. The wish to see him happy, to help him out of his misery, it was because you fell for him and you until now, you never realized it. Speaking of Asriel, where was he? He wasn’t with you and the others on stage. 

The evening finally concluded, and you returned to your dorm for the night. Asriel was already there, sitting on his bed with an expression that made him look like his mind was trying to divide by zero. 

“Hey Azzy,” you spoke softly as you sat down next to him. His gaze instantly snapped towards you when you called him.

“Looks like the play was a success,” Asriel replied hesitantly, fearful almost.

“Yeah, it was,” you replied equally hesitant. This was probably the most awkward things have ever been between you and Asriel.

“I’m sorry I kissed you,” after a long, awkward, pause Asriel finally spoke up again.

“It’s alright. You actually made me realize something,” you replied, causing Asriel’s expression to freeze. He simply stared at you in bewilderment. “It made me realize that this feeling I had for you was something I didn’t really expect.”

Asriel began to tear up slightly while he slowly began to put one and one together while you sat there in silence, looking for the words you were trying to say. But no matter how hard you looked, you simply couldn’t find them. No matter where you looked, you simply could not find the words you wanted to say. So you did the next best thing that came to mind, and hugged Asriel. You threw your arms around him and pulled him close to you.

Countless minutes passed in silence, countless minutes until you finally found the words you wanted to say. So you pulled back, holding Asriel by his shoulder and looking him straight in the eyes with a smile. “I love you.”

The caprine took several moments but the second Asriel realized what you just said, he began to break into a mess of tears. Once more did the threw his arms around you, hugging you as tightly as his overwhelmed stated allowed. And he cried, he cried tears of joy while you held him in your arms.

Even more time passed, night has long befallen the world, and Asriel finally managed to compose himself again. He looked at you, beaming with joy. “I guess this makes it official. It’s no longer play pretend and make believe.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” you replied, yawning from exhaustion soon afterward. “Geez, I’m beat. Guess it’s about time for us to go to bed.” 

“Hey, uhm. Before you go to bed, could we push the beds together?” Asriel spoke in a sheepish tone, a red tint shimmering from underneath his fur. “I mean, we’re officially a couple now and the beds were designed so couples could push them together if they wanted to.” 

“Fine by me,” you agreed, and so you began to push your beds towards each other. 

That night felt different from any other night before. You finally found your place in the world and it was right by Asriel’s side. 

“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you. Could we go see my parents tomorrow? You don’t have a place to stay for winter break and I thought that, maybe we can arrange something,” Asriel spoke tiredly, some parts of what he said nearly inaudible. You replied with a simply hum, agreeing to Asriel’s little wish.

Morning rolled over the horizon one more time and you felt refreshed in a way you haven’t felt before. It really is true, sleeping next to someone you love really improves sleep. Asriel was already up and by the looks of it he already took a shower. You followed suit and took a shower yourself before you and Asriel departed for Toriel’s office. He already let his mother know that he wanted to talk to her about something and he also asked his father to come. 

As you arrived at Toriel’s office door, you felt an entirely new kind of anxiety. It hasn’t been a single day and you were already going to meet your boyfriends’ parents as his parents. You already met his parents before, but you only met them as a student and not as Asriel’s boyfriend. But there was no way around it. You were already there and, without even noticing, seated in one of the chairs in front of Toriel’s desk. Both of Asriel’s parents were there and they both looked equally confused.

“Why did you want to talk to us so suddenly? Is ____ giving you troubles?” Toriel asked with concern.

Asriel sighed and whispered something about how he wanted to make this as quick as possible. “Mom, Dad. ____ and I, we’re dating. More than that. ____’s my boyfriend.”

Asriel’s parents looked surprised at first. Sure, both heard the rumors, but neither of them was giving them too much thought. Asgore was the first to recover, and he quickly shot you a smile. He seemed genuinely happy that Asriel found his special someone. Toriel on the other hand, was much less impressed. 

“Asriel, do you know what that means?” she spoke ominously, though you could already guess what she meant.

“Yes, and it doesn’t matter. ____ and all the other Nekos, were engineered to stop aging completely once they reach adulthood. ____, won’t die of old age. We will be together until either of us dies of other causes,” Asriel showed a completely different side of him. You’ve never seen him this confident, this determined. Just thinking that his mother would even consider thinking about changing Asriel’s mind made him madder than anything.

Toriel simply sighed in response. “If that’s the case,” she turned towards you, her sour expression changed to a warm and welcoming smile. “I’m sorry if I appeared a little hostile but Asriel has been through enough. I simply don’t want him to watch as time tears apart the few bonds he made,” she cleared her throat and shook her head. “But enough about that. Welcome to the Dreemurr family ____. You can stay with us during winter break, and well past that,” Toriel officially welcomed you to the family and much quicker than you expected. It seems as if you were worried over nothing, again. 

And so you packed what little you had and departed to your new home with your new family and your boyfriend. Sure, things might get a little tense given that Frisk seems to be terrified of you, and the fact that Frisk and Asriel no longer seem to get along but you’d manage. If that means you had to beat someone up, then so be it. Either way, this was the beginning of a new, better life. A life better than anything you could have ever dreamed of. 

You didn’t even know when or how it happened, but you somehow ended up being Asriel’s boyfriend, again. But there was no way of knowing with all those resets, there was no way in telling how long your relationship would last. Sooner or later they would tear your relationship apart the same way they tore apart countless other relationships Asriel build. But there was one thing you did knew. You would try everything within in your power to make the most of what finite time you had. Making the best out of those limited days you were able to spend with Asriel was the only thing you could do, and you would do everything to make sure that those days would be the best they can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's another story Finished. As always, I hope you enjoyed reading. The next story, while still in Undertale related, will be a vastly different one. That means NO Asriel/reader. Sorry to all those that are disappointed by that.


End file.
